Liberals Bash Bush for Stance on Traditional Marriage, Constitutional Amendment

by Jody Brown and Jim Brown
February 26, 2004

(AgapePress) - What do The New York Times and Senator Ted Kennedy have in common? In addition to being unabashed mouthpieces for liberalism, both are accusing President Bush of trying to write bias into the U.S. Constitution -- and both are being taken to task by pro-family leaders for their blatant attacks against traditional marriage.

Following the president's call on Tuesday for Congress to step up to the plate and defend the biblical and traditional concept of marriage, The New York Times published an editorial stating that because he endorses a Federal Marriage Amendment, President Bush is "putting bias in the Constitution."

In addition, The Times says an amendment protecting traditional marriage "would inject meanspiritedness and exclusion" into the Constitution. The op-ed piece also implied that by calling for an amendment that would define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, Bush wants to "take away" the rights of homosexuals who desire to be "married."

Several pro-family leaders -- among them Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse, Dr. Don Wildmon of the American Family Association, and Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship -- say they are "appalled" at such criticism. In an open letter to The Times, they point out it is not the president who should be under the liberal microscope.

"Gay marriage has never been a constitutional right in America or any other civilized nation. No one wants to 'take away' some supposed right," the letter reads. "It is the rogue judges who are tying to create a new right."

The "tyrannical actions of these unaccountable judges," the pro-family leaders argue, are the reason why a broad-based coalition of organizations -- Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews -- have banded together to preserve the centuries-old concept of marriage. They also say the newspaper's charges of bias are "especially galling" because 85 U.S. senators, 342 U.S. representatives, and a Democratic president, Bill Clinton, all thought enough of the Defense of Marriage act to make it law in 1996.

"Are all of these leaders, including former President Clinton, bigots?" the pro-family leaders ask -- and follow up with the suggestion that perhaps the personal attack on the president is an effort to "mask the real issues and distort the debate."

"It is not bigotry or intolerance to defend an institution every society has recognized as essential to its stable social order," the letter reads. "It is indeed intolerance in the extreme to characterize those who defend that institution as bigots."

From NYC ... to WDC
They also say it is disingenuous for someone to argue that they are opposed to homosexual marriage but also oppose any constitutional amendment. The pro-family leaders contend such a stance implies the peoples' vote cannot be trusted.

"We pledge ourselves not to engage in rhetoric that demeans others," the letter concludes, "either for their sexual orientation or for religious beliefs that might differ from ours. We call on the editors of The Times, Senator [Ted] Kennedy, and others who oppose this amendment to make the same commitment."

The pro-family leaders single out the long-time Massachusetts senator because of comments he made from the floor of the U.S. Senate immediately following President's announcement. "By endorsing this shameful proposal, President Bush will go down in history as the first president to try to write bias into the Constitution," Kennedy stated -- but he didn't stop there, choosing to continue skewering the chief executive.

"We have amended the Constitution only 17 times .... [It] has often been amended to expand and protect people's rights, never to take away or restrict their rights," Kennedy said.

Conservative spokesman Gary Bauer correctly points out that homosexuals do not have a "right" to marry anywhere in the U.S. "And neither do polygamists -- for now at least," he adds in reference to warnings issued by several pro-family groups about the aftereffects of legalized same-sex marriage.

But Bauer says he is not surprised by the criticisms being thrown in the president's direction. "I just wish our so-called 'tolerant' adversaries weren't so quick to turn ugly when their radical agenda is resisted," he says. "Their behavior isn't surprising. They are simply following their leaders here in Washington, DC, who want to marginalize men and women of faith."

And things are not likely to get any better, Bauer says, for those in on Capitol Hill who firmly defend marriage as the union of one man and one woman. "We should be prepared -- as should the president -- for an onslaught of invective and slander," he says.

Renegade UMC Pastor
Meanwhile, a conservative United Methodist activist says a minister in his denomination should face a church trial for her role in San Francisco's seemingly endless "wedding march" for homosexual couples.

Shortly after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom defied California law and declared homosexual marriage de facto in his city, Pastor Karen Oliveto conducted a same-sex "marriage" ceremony in her Bethany United Methodist Church and then officiated over five others in San Francisco City Hall. Oliveto coyly claimed she was not defying church law because it prohibits the celebration of same-sex unions, but not "legal" same-sex marriage.

Mark Tooley

Mark Tooley with the Institute on Religion and Democracy hopes Oliveto's actions will solidify opposition to the same-sex unions in the United Methodist Church. "I hope, if anything, that Rev. Oliveto's defiance of church law will encourage those delegates at General Conference meeting in just a couple of months to once again reaffirm scriptural teachings on marriage and sex," he says.

Tooley is calling on Oliveto's bishop, Beverly Shaman, to uphold her duty to discipline the renegade clergywoman -- but he says it is uncertain whether that will indeed happen.

"Bishop Shamana put out a statement after Rev. Oliveto's same-sex marriage ceremonies were celebrated, and the statement was just very vague," he says. "But it did say that the bishop is mindful of her responsibility to uphold church law. So whether she does uphold church law -- and how vigorously she does that -- remains to be seen."

Oliveto claims about half of her members at Bethany United Methodist Church are homosexuals.