Senators Hear from Marriage Amendment Supporters
by Jody Brown and Fred Jackson
March 4, 2004
(AgapePress) - A Senate panel has heard warnings about what legalized homosexual "marriages" could mean for Bible-believing churches. But one Democrat on the subcommittee hosting the hearing says the contention that traditional marriage is under attack is false.
For the first time since President Bush voiced his support for a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to one man and one woman -- and since local mayors in various locales around the country began issuing same-sex "marriage" licenses -- a Senate panel listened to arguments from both sides of the controversy. One of those who spoke was Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy.
Gallagher told the hearing that the legalization of homosexual marriages holds a particular threat for churches who preach that homosexuality is a sin. "Your tax-exempt status will be threatened if you continue to hold to 'bigoted, discriminatory' ideas -- like children need mothers and fathers, and marriage has something important to do with getting children this need," she said.
Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn echoed those concerns to the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights. He noted the words of the Massachusetts justices who have ordered the state to start performing homosexual marriages, effective the middle of May."Four judges in Massachusetts concluded that 'deep-seated religious, moral, and ethical convictions' underlying traditional marriage are no rational reason for the institution's continued existence," the subcommittee chairman stated. "They contended that traditional marriage is rooted in persistent prejudice and invidious discrimination -- and is not in the best interest of children."
Cornyn read from a list of churches and faith-based groups that support amending the Constitution to ban homosexual marriage. That list includes the National Conference of Catholic Bishops; the Southern Baptist Convention; the United Methodist Action for Faith, Freedom and Family; the Islamic Society of North America; the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; the National Association of Evangelicals; and Campus Crusade for Christ.
The ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, contends Republicans are trumping up the call for a Federal Marriage Amendment for political gain. "This is a divisive political exercise in an election year, plain and simple," he said. And Republicans' contention that traditional marriage is under major attack is false, he said, adding: "Nothing could be further from the truth."
And fellow Democratic subcommittee member Ted Kennedy said a marriage amendment would violate the religious rights of churches that perform homosexual weddings.
The subcommittee also heard from leaders of black and Hispanic church groups who say a constitutional amendment is needed to prevent homosexual marriage from weakening minority families. Rev. Richard Richardson of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston and Rev. Daniel de Leon of the Hispanic National Alliance of Evangelical Ministers testified at the hearing.
Richardson said it is socially dangerous to redefine marriage. "That institution plays a critical role in ensuring the progress and prosperity of the black family and black community at large," he said. "That's why the Black Ministerial Alliance strongly supports a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman."
And de Leon explained that his group has teamed with other religious groups to defend traditional marriage. "On many issues, we work very closely with our Catholic brethren," he said. "We're certainly working together on the issue we are discussing today: the institution of marriage, understood throughout history and across diverse religions and cultures as a union of one man and one woman."
Both Richardson and de Leon rejected charges that opposition to same-sex marriage is akin to racism -- a charge levied by pro-homosexual groups that contend homosexual marriage is a civil rights issue.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist vowed on Wednesday not to allow activist judges to redefine marriage. Congress, he said, "must act and act soon" to prevent rulings from a few judges and actions by local officials from redefining marriage for everyone.
"We didn't seek this fight, and we don't relish it," the Tennessee Republican said. "But the courts have brought it to us, and the people will respond. We will not let activist judges redefine marriage for our entire society." Saying same-sex marriages are likely to spread across America like a "wildfire," Frist exhorted Congress Wednesday to embrace a constitutional amendment banning them.
