Top Stories of 2003: Pro-Family Coalition Steadfast in Defense of Traditional Marriage

by Jody Brown and Bill Fancher
December 30, 2003

(AgapePress) - Pro-family leaders have wrapped up a meeting in Washington, DC, with a firm commitment to defend traditional marriage from the assaults of homosexuals, their supporters, and the courts. The coalition of pro-family groups says it is ready to fight like never before to defend the biblical concept of marriage: the union of one man and one woman.

More than two dozen pro-family organizations -- including the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Family Association, Focus on the Family, and the Christian Coalition of America -- say they want to make homosexual "marriage" the number-one social issue in next year's election. The coalition has announced a voter registration drive and endorsed the language of a Constitutional amendment that defines marriage in the traditional way.

At a press conference on Thursday, the leaders of many of the pro-family groups composing the coalition said they are ready to do whatever it takes, as long as it takes, to preserve the traditional view of marriage, which they call the foundation of American society. They announced that October 12-18 will be "Marriage Protection Week" in the U.S. Elements of the observance will include church bulletin inserts in more than 70,000 churches, and Christian radio programming on the issue throughout the week.

Supporters of same-sex marriage are criticizing conservatives for using the issue as a political rallying cry, and are suggesting that the efforts to "demonize" homosexual "families" for electoral purposes will backfire. They claim that homosexual marriage is a civil issue, not a religious issue.

But conservative and religious pro-family groups strongly disagree. In no uncertain terms, they state their strong opinion that same-sex marriage is the issue for our times.

Tony Perkins

'The Black Plague'
Tony Perkins, who just recently became president of the Washington, DC-based Family Research Council, said the formation of the coalition was mandated by the out-of-control actions of one group which is trying to legalize same-sex unions. He claims the push for homosexual marriage is not coming from the American people or from their elected representatives -- but from what he calls "the Black Plague."

"From the Pledge of Allegiance to the Ten Commandments to the Do-Not-Call campaign -- and now to the very institution of marriage -- un-elected judges in black robes are not only ruling against the wishes of the American people, they are overturning laws passed by the elected representatives of those people," Perkins said.

The FRC leader said "this is the issue of our time." He stated emphatically that his organization will use every resource at its disposal to ensure that when pro-family voters enter the voting booth in 2004, they will know which candidates are "friends of the families."

The founder and chairman of the American Family Association, Dr. Don Wildmon, said the groups hope to mobilize opponents of same-sex marriage. "We're going to be active during Marriage Protection Week, asking our people to contact their congressmen and senators in support of a Federal Marriage Amendment," he explained, "and we look forward to literally millions of people responding to that."

Wildmon told those at the news conference that the group is united like never before. "This is probably the largest coalition of conservative Christian groups that we've ever had in this country," the pro-family leader said, adding that the groups are "totally, completely committed to the task."

The 'Poster Child Issue'
Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission said this is a crucial time for America. "This is an absolutely critical moment and juncture in the history of our society in our nation," Land said. "The same-sex marriage movement -- and now the attempt to stop it and to refocus our society on marriage as the foundational building block that God has given us for society -- is the poster child issue."

The Baptist leader said granting permission for same-sex marriage would be a turn toward paganism. "It is the poster issue for the titanic struggle that is going on in our society between those who believe in a Judeo-Christian basis for our culture, and those who believe in a neo-pagan relativist base," he stated.

Sandy Rios

Sandy Rios of Concerned Women for America cited several recent developments in the culture war that indicate action by pro-family advocates is critical at this time.

"With our Canadian cousins having just legalized homosexual marriage; the Supreme Court finding a new right to homosexual sodomy; the Episcopal Church sanctioning a homosexual bishop who left his wife and children for his male lover; and Massachusetts poised any day now to legalize not just civil unions, but full-blown, same-sex marriage, it's time that rational voices in this country speak up -- and speak up we will," she said.

According to Rios, America's founding fathers did not give their lives or their property for the freedom for entertainer Madonna to French-kiss Britney Spears on national television, or for men to appear with men in Bride's magazine. "They understood that morality is not bigotry -- and that religion and morality are the twin pillars upon which our freedoms rest," Rios said.

State Proclamation Solicited
As part of the national campaign in support of traditional marriage, one pro-family group in Michigan is asking its governor to proclaim the same week "Marriage Protection Week" in the state. Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan has asked Governor Jennifer Granholm to formally sign and issue such a proclamation.

Gary Glenn

Glenn points out that earlier this year, Granholm issued a proclamation declaring June to be "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month" in Michigan.

"Governor Granholm issued a proclamation declaring a full month to recognize the two or three percent of Michigan's population who choose to engage in homosexual behavior," he says. "We're only asking for a week to recognize the benefits of one-man, one-woman marriage and the millions of Michiganians who live together as husband and wife."

Glenn notes that he has provided Granholm with a draft proclamation that quotes existing state law. He says the draft is worded in such a way that it limits the proclamation to the positive recognition of the traditional institution of marriage between a man and a woman, and points out the historical and proven benefits of marriage to the state, the country, and society.