House to Debate and Vote on Marriage Protection Amendment July 18
- Jul 14, 2006 - comment
Dear Friends:
The U.S. House of Representatives will debate and vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment (H.J. Res. 88) July 18. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman is the only sure means to protect traditional marriage.
We need only look to European nations that have legalized same-sex marriage to realize that the expansion of marriage devalues the institution altogether. In these countries, heterosexual couples are increasingly choosing to cohabitate rather than marry, and out of wedlock births are escalating. In Denmark and some regions of Norway, rates of out of wedlock births for first-borns have risen to 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
Same-sex marriage could undermine religious freedom as well. Religious liberty scholars—including both opponents and advocates of same-sex marriage—acknowledge that legalization of marriage in the United States between two homosexuals could pose a threat to religious freedom. They suggest that discrimination based on sexual orientation could be treated like racial discrimination. In other words, scholars believe it is not a far-fetched idea that churches who oppose homosexuality could lose their 501©3 tax exemption status for exhibiting so-called discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
We have seen that state constitutional amendments defining marriage as between one man and one woman are not enough to secure this God-ordained institution. Last year a federal judge struck down Nebraska’s amendment on marriage—despite its passage in 2000 by over 70 percent of voters—and just two months ago, a Georgia court ruled its marriage amendment unconstitutional—in the wake of 76 percent of voters affirming traditional marriage in 2004. While higher courts in Nebraska and Georgia have since overturned these rulings and reinstated the amendments, we can expect activist judges to continue to strike down state marriage laws throughout the country. Several other states have pending cases to challenge state constitutional amendments on marriage.
The bottom line is that marriage is under attack. Legalization of any form of marriage other than between one man and one woman will undercut the foundation of our great country. The Psalmist reminds us that “When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). Efforts to chip away at this foundation are well underway.
That’s why your Congressman needs to hear from you. If you believe that marriage should be restricted only to the union of one man and one woman, please contact your Representative and tell him or her to vote “yes” on the Marriage Protection Amendment (H.J. Res. 88). Just dial the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Congressman. Or, if you prefer email, click here and enter your zip code in the space provided. Even if you know your Congressman will vote for the amendment, your call or email can still make a difference. Representatives can be influenced to alter their intended votes based upon reports of what other Congressional offices are hearing from their constituents.
This is your opportunity to be counted as one who values God’s design for marriage. Please call or email your Congressman today to help ensure that generations to come will grow up in a nation that still recognizes marriage as we have known it since Creation. I hope you will share this Action Alert with your friends as well. Let’s overwhelm Washington with our call for passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment. May God bless you and His sacred institution of marriage.
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