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Monthly Archives: May 2012

Rev. Owens and Other Black Pastors Condemn Obama's Gay Marriage Support

May 21, 2012 – 10:30 am

Rev. Bill Owens is NOM's liaison to the African-American churches and we are so blessed to have his energy in this great fight!

It is the most hallowed phrase emblazoned on American currency. In God We Trust.

President Obama shocked many Americans last week with an endorsement, "It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."

But, a coalition of Memphis African American pastors take their trust in God literally in opposing President Barak Obama's public acceptance of same-sex marriage.

"Same sex marriage I think it's an abomination before God. It's a sin before God. I don't see how anyone can compare that with civil rights," says Rev. Robert Morris.

Pastor William Owens added, "We are not to slam the President. We're not to say we're not going to vote for him or we're going to vote for him. But, we just want our voice to be heard."

On an issue that for the incumbent President has become politically more than just a "tempest in a teapot", a dozen local black clergy leaders held a news conference in Midtown Memphis to publically ask for Obama to rescind his stance supporting gay marriage on moral and religious grounds. While intentionally choosing not to delve into the political ramifications Obama could face in a potential erosion of the black vote, there was a not too subtle cry for attention.

..."Whatever happens in society we cannot retreat from our duties of speaking truth to power," said Nashville clergyman Bishop Felton Smith.

The faith-based coalition warns if their words don't get the President to change his mind, they'll start to lean on action by announcing next week they'll be part of a nationwide petition drive denouncing same-sex marriage.

"We have several thousand. We seek to have 100-thousand, then we'll go to 200-thousand signatures from across the country asking Mr. Obama to please rescind his position," said Owens. "Some would like to call it a civil right. But, no right is a civil right if it's not square with God." -- My Fox Memphis

Join the movement and show your support at 100000signatures4marriage.com.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (5)

Video: Are Churches Motivated by Hatred of Gay People?

May 21, 2012 – 10:00 am

Kalley Yanta of the Minnesota Marriage Amendment responds to the charge that churches are motivated by hatred of gay people because of their theological views about sexuality.

She says: "While it is sad that gay marriage activists seeking to impose same-sex marriage through the Minnesota courts claim that churches are motivated by hatred towards gays and lesbians. The argument has been used like the states of Iowa, California and Massachusetts. The Marriage Protection Amendment isn't about sin, it's about preserving the institution of marriage as the union of one man and woman, as has been the case in Minnesota since before we became a state."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Civility, Marriage, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (6)

CNN Video: Pastor Evans Says He is Disappointed in Obama's Marriage Morph

May 21, 2012 – 9:30 am

Pastor Tony Evans is senior pastor at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship:

He begins: "I was disappointed. As a Christian and as a person who believes the bible has established clearly what marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman and because the reality is that the saga of a nation is the saga of its families written large and when you redefine the family other than what the Creator intended when he established it then you're looking at the devolution of civilization."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (7)

Matthew Franck Takes on Jonathan Rauch's Arguments for SSM

May 21, 2012 – 9:00 am

Matthew J. Franck is director of the William E. and Carol G. Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution at the Witherspoon Institute.

In this substantial article for First Things, he takes on gay-marriage advocate Jonathan Rauch, who recently tried to assail five "myths" about same-sex marriage. Franck insists that these "myths" about same-sex marriage are actually true.

Here's an abbreviated excerpt but obviously the entire thing is well worth reading:

1. Rauch’s first “myth” is that “letting gay couples get married redefines marriage.” He accepts as a “true premise” the proposition that “with few exceptions, marriage has always been about uniting the two sexes and linking mother and father to children.”...

2. Rauch’s second “myth” is that “same-sex marriage hurts children.” Once again, Rauch (to his credit) does not go easy on himself, accepting another “true premise,” this time that “other things being equal, children do best when raised by their married biological parents.” But again he claims that those of us who believe this have drawn a false conclusion, while it is he himself who commits the fallacy...

3. Rauch’s third “myth” is that “a collision with religious liberty is unavoidable.” Absolutely every religious leader of any faith group that holds to the traditional, conjugal understanding of marriage believes this is true. They’re in a position to be informed about what threatens their liberty, and they have a deep interest in being informed. But Rauch thinks it is a myth. Oh wait, except he doesn’t, actually. In fact, he thinks it is “a real problem.” He just thinks it is not an “unmanageable one.” Yet he is remarkably casual about “working out the precise balance.” Probably because the folks doing the working out and the managing will be the ones with the whip hand–the authorities who have brought about the collision with religious liberty that Rauch, after all, concedes is unavoidable. That is, the enforcers of the new normal called same-sex marriage. Somehow I am not reassured.

4. His fourth “myth” is that “the entire country must have the same policy.” He cites the trivial and unimportant differences among the states with respect to consanguinity and age of consent to marry (he mentions divorce too, but just why is a mystery). Meanwhile, the most persistent argument of every same-sex advocate is that their case is exactly like the case of inter-racial marriage, against which quite a few states had laws until the Supreme Court struck them down 45 years ago...

Franck's answer to no. 5 is his shortest:

5. Rauch’s fifth myth is that “the battle is almost over.” This is the only myth that is truly a myth in his article.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (6)

Video: Rev. Ralph Martino Says Obama's SSM Stance Makes it "Very Difficult" to Support Him

May 21, 2012 – 8:30 am

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux talks with Rev. Ralph Martino of First Church of Christ Holiness in Washington, DC about President Obama's abandonment of marriage:

Rev. Martino says: "If this stance continues [of Obama in favor of same-sex marriage] as is it will create some issues and challenges and make it very difficult for individuals to say I can publicly acknowledge and vote for the current president."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (2)

WashExaminer: Democratic Split Over Gay Marriage Breaks Open

May 21, 2012 – 8:00 am

The Washington Examiner:

That didn’t take long. Just over a week since President Obama flip-flopped to endorse gay marriage, a significant split among Democrats has opened and threatens to become Grand Canyon-wide in moderate and conservative states where congressional candidates fear the issue will sink their election chances.

On the heels of a new North Carolina poll showing Mitt Romney surging ahead of President Obama in the week since the state overwhelmingly rejected gay marriage, House Democratic candidates in South Dakota this week split over the issue in a nasty spat.

Matt Varilek, one of two House candidates, came out against the president’s position, sparking an outcry from supporters including Steven Hildebrand, an Obama organizer who ran the Senate campaigns of former Sen. Tom Dashle and Sen. Tim Johnson, the Democrat who mentored Varilek.

Varilek told the Mitchell, S.D., Daily Republic that he is against gay marriage, but for same-sex civil unions, just like Obama before he changed his mind. The paper then asked what Hildebrand thought and he said, “I was angry with his position and that I could not help him anymore.”

That could be damaging to Varilek who has the Democratic establishment and money against him in a bid against pro-gay marriage Democrat Jeff Barth. They faceoff in a June 5 primary. Barth backs the president’s view on gay marriage.

The issue is helping Obama raise money in liberal circles, but the South Dakota and North Carolina fight shows that it is also energizing conservatives and threatening establishment Democrats in red states.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (12)

Phillip Blond: The Attempt to Redefine Marriage is a New Form of Totalitarianism

May 20, 2012 – 1:00 pm

Phillip Blond is the founder of the think tank Res Publica in the UK, and appears in this video produced for the World Congress of Families in London:

He says: "The attempt to redefine marriage is profoundly important because what its actually saying is that a structure which has persisted, sanctioned by the religions, since the first inception, is to be erased in the name of a form of equality ... [but] it creates a society in which the differences can't be endorsed, respected and actually creates a situation where the interest of gay people and the interests of straight people are opposed, and that doesn't further any good for any of us."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (16)

UK Blogger Under Investigation for Posting Ad in Support of Marriage

May 20, 2012 – 11:00 am

The UK Christian Concern:

A Christian blog writer, who goes by the pseudonym “Archbishop Cranmer”, is under investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for posting an advert on behalf of the Coalition for Marriage.

The Coalition for Marriage is campaigning to preserve the current legal definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. Christian Concern is a leading member of the Coalition.

The investigation was launched after anonymous complaints were received against the blog for featuring the online advert which urged members of the public to sign the Coalition for Marriage petition.

The complainants, including the Jewish Gay & Lesbian Group, have described the advert as “offensive” and “homophobic”. The anonymous writer has now been given until 21 May to respond to the allegations.

The writer behind the blog, which was ranked as the 24th most influential blog in the UK, commented:

"This is nothing short of censorship. Nothing in the advert is factually incorrect or offensive. It is an advert to campaign to simply keep the law as it is. It is outrageous to suggest it is homophobic and the fact that the ASA are even considering such an allegation is ludicrous and displays evidence of a lack of even basic research by them before making the demand of Cranmer that they have done."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Free Speech, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (21)

Church of Ireland Upholds Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman

May 20, 2012 – 9:00 am

The Christian Post, Europe:

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland has passed a motion upholding marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

The motion, passed on Saturday, affirms Canon 31, which states that marriage is "a union permanent and lifelong, for better or worse, till death do them part, of one man with one woman, to the exclusion of all others on either side, for the procreation and nurture of children, for the hallowing and right direction of the natural instincts and affections, and for the mutual society, help and comfort which the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity."

The Synod, which met at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, agreed that the Church recognized "no other understanding of marriage."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (1)

Australian Human Rights Commissioner Forced to Resign After Supporting Marriage

May 19, 2012 – 1:00 pm

Jason Rushton, Australian correspondent for LifeSiteNews:

A board member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) has resigned less than 48 hours after Australian media reported that he had signed a document supporting true marriage.

Professor Kuruvilla George, who is also Victoria’s deputy chief psychiatrist, signed a pro-marriage submission to a Senate inquiry on the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 in March. (There are currently three bills to change the legal definition of marriage before Australian parliament, which are the subject of two separate inquiries).

When it was revealed on Sunday by various newspapers that Professor George had been one of a group of 150 medical professionals who submitted to the inquiry that “the evidence is clear that children who grow up in a family with a mother and father do better in all parameters than children without,” there were immediate calls for his resignation.

Kerryn Phelps, the former national president of the Australian Medical Association said the group of doctors - who go under the name Doctors for the Family - should “hang their heads in shame”, and that Professor George’s position on the board of the VEOHRC should be reviewed.

“They should immediately disqualify themselves from dealing with matters of sexuality, as they clearly have no idea about its complexities,” she said.

Although Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark defended Professor George’s right to free speech, opposition Attorney-General Martin Pakula said Professor George needed to explain why he should remain on the board. Victorian Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge similarly demanded an “immediate explanation.”

By Tuesday morning, the chair of the board of the VEOHRC, John Searle, announced Professor George’s resignation “due to time constraints and personal reasons.”

For more on this story, see Bill Muehlenberg's commentary.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Australia, Free Speech, Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (13)

Australia's Atheist Prime Minister Remains Opposed to SSM

May 19, 2012 – 12:00 pm

In the Sydney Morning Herald:

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will continue to oppose gay marriage in Australia despite US President Barack Obama publicly endorsing it in a national television interview overnight.

Ms Gillard today said she stood by her beliefs and would not vote for a private member's bill set to be introduced in Federal Parliament later this year to allow same-sex couples to marry.

"I know President Obama has made that statement," Ms Gillard told ABC radio station 774 today.

"I haven't had the opportunity to view it myself. I've seen the reports of it, but no, my view hasn't changed and when a bill comes to the parliament later this year ... I won't vote for it."

Asked if her progressive credentials were not measuring up, Ms Gillard replied: "Well you know, I believe what I believe ... You can judge it."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Australia, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

FRC Video: The Problem With Same-Sex Marriage

May 19, 2012 – 11:00 am

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council has released a new 30-minute documentary explaining some of the impact of redefining marriage:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Law, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (13)

Christian Marriage Conference in UK Banned for Opposition to Gay Marriage

May 19, 2012 – 9:00 am

The Christian Post, Europe:

The organizers of a marriage conference in Britain have been told they can no longer hold the event on their regular hired premises because they support the biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.

The Law Society in England has revoked its permission for "Christian Concern" to hold the conference on its premises saying that the event would breach its "diversity policy" due to the Christian group's religious beliefs that there should be no redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples.

In an email to Christian Concern, the Law Society's Adam Tallis said the event was "contrary to our diversity policy, espousing as it does an ethos which is opposed to same-sex marriage."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Law, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (15)

NOM's Goddard: Pacquiao Packs a Punch for Traditional Marriage

May 18, 2012 – 5:30 pm

Damian Goddard is the spokesman for NOM's Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, and writes in LifeSiteNews:

"...Shortly after his being expelled from The Grove, Pacquiao issued the following statement. “I am against gay marriage, but I’m not condemning gays. I have family - a cousin - who’s gay, and friends too. I’m just against gay marriage… To the gay community, I apologize. My favorite verse is ‘Love one another as you love yourself. Love your neighbor.’ So I love everybody!”

It’s one thing to say you are Christian. It is quite another to actually pick up your cross and follow Him; even when it comes to having to tell people things they don’t want to hear. Things like, marriage is the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

On June 9th, Pacquiao will step into the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to defend his WBO Welterweight title. While Timothy Bradley’s got nothing on the forces attempting to destroy marriage, it is clear that Manny Pacquiao is up for the fight. On both fronts. And the world is watching."

By NOM Staff | Posted in California, Free Speech, Marriage, MarriageADA, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (11)

Israeli Bill to Legalize SSM Fails 11 to 39

May 18, 2012 – 1:00 pm

The Jerusalem Post:

The Knesset voted down a bill on Wednesday that would allow same-sex and interfaith couples to wed.

The legislation, proposed by MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), would open the option of civil marriages for those who may not be wed according to Halacha (Jewish law), as well as those who choose not to be married by the Chief Rabbinate. It was rejected, with 39 MKs opposed and 11 in favor.

... After Horowitz presented his bill, Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman gave a succinct rebuttal: “You did not bring your bill to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, so the government’s official stance is to oppose it. Thank you.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (21)
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