We need a national marriage amendment and we need it now. We need it before any of the current seekers of the White House have the opportunity to shape the public debate. Hillary Clinton has vowed she will never sign legislation to protect traditional marriage. Barack Obama said in an interview in The Advocate, a leading homosexual rights publication, that if he is elected president he will work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). John McCain has made it clear he believes marriage is a “states rights” issue. For that reason, he has declared that he will never support a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage.
But what will happen if marriage is left up to the states? Do we have any examples of what might happen if states continue to pass conflicting laws concerning marriage? The current conflict between Virginia and Vermont may well serve as a harbinger of what is to come if we continue to refuse to address marriage at the federal level. Miller vs. Jenkins, a case before the Virginia Supreme Court, involves the struggle between Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins. They are former homosexual lovers who, in 2000, left Virginia and entered into a civil union in Vermont. They wanted children so Lisa agreed to be artificially inseminated so they could start a family with two mommies. Shortly after their union Lisa gave birth to Isabella, who is now six years old.
Not long after Isabella was born, Janet became abusive. Lisa, stunned by the drastic turn of events in her life, turned to and embraced a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The relationship between Lisa and Janet ended and the battle for Isabella’s future began. Janet won round one in Vermont convincing the state Supreme Court to award her parental rights based on the states civil union laws. The high court considered Janet to be a full marital partner and therefore deserving of full parental rights. The court reached this decision even though Janet has no blood tie to Isabella and no adoption papers were ever filed. Lisa’s fitness as a mother is not in question. She is the biological mother and yet the Vermont Supreme Court believes the civil union law is enough to link Janet to Isabella in a bond more viable than the bond of biological birth.
Lisa and Isabella are back in Virginia, where Lisa has petitioned the court to grant her full custody. Virginia has one of the strongest laws in the country prohibiting the recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions. Based on the strength of that law, it is likely the Virginia Supreme Court will rule in Lisa’s favor. If it does, the case will automatically go to the United States Supreme Court. If the Virginia high court rules against Lisa it is likely the case will still end up before the Supreme Court. Either way, the case will test and perhaps ultimately decide the validity of the marriage laws of every state in the union.
Mathew D. Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University’s School of Law said, “This case is exceptionally important because the future of Isabella hangs in the balance. Her future will be to either remain with her biological mother, Lisa Miller, or potentially be ripped away from her mom and placed in a lesbian household and paraded as a political trophy of the homosexual agenda. This case is also important because states must also have the sovereign authority to maintain their marriage policy as the union of one man and one woman, while rejecting same-sex unions.” Continue >>
Comments
First of all I am not a homosexual, have been married for over 30 years to the same woman, I've never been divorced, I don't particularly like being around homosexuals, and I become physically sickened when I think of what they do. I think people should do what ever they can to ensure everything possible to discourage a sexually experimental or sexually promiscuous lifestyle. I also believe homosexual acts are a sin.
That said, I do not understand this type of distain for homosexuals. The seventh commandment (6th if you are Catholic) states “You shall not commit adultery”. I would think there should be more attention given to this commandment than Romans 1:26. I believe that society’s attitudes toward adultery and divorce have created greater damage than homosexuality. Sodom and Gomorrah was a stock image for extreme sinfulness, it was not a symbol for one particular sin.
I will continue to pray for understanding.
"Do you remember the days when in the 1940's and 50's..... Men married women, there was no abortion......"
Oh, my. I'm so glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read that. You meant no LEGAL abortions, right? Out-of-sight, out-of-mind back-alley abortions were never a part of those magical times for women.
Allowing the states to individually define marriage is asinine. That leaders and lawmakers ever thought it was a clever idea astounds me. No wonder America is in such a mess, if our great "thinkers" cannot think beyond a millisecond in time. OF COURSE state-by-state marriage laws would cause nightmares of red tape! How could they not have seen that? It shows how well the prince of this world has been working to literally blind people.
In reponse to jar1961 - I agree that we get the government we deserve, and I also agree that more strong Christians need to stand up. The problem is that many so-called Christians don't know what they believe! They don't study the Word, and they are being fed heresy and lies by their leaders. It is so incredibly discouraging to see so many splinter groups of Christianity fighting against one another. Jesus prayed for our unity, but we cannot be unified until we remove the lies.
May God protect the heart of precious Isabella, and may His will be done in her life.
Do you remember the days when in the 1940's and 50's where you never even heard of an immoral law(Except the horrible situation of slavery and segregation of course). Men married women, there was no abortion, people went to Church on Sunday in droves. It was a good time.
What went wrong? Well, in the 1930's all Christian denominations agreed that Birth Control was a moral evil and was only a practice that Pagans did. Then the Anglicans said BC was ok, then the Baptists, then the Presbyterians, etc, until all Protestant denominations say BC is ok. Only the Catholic Church remains steadfast that BC is still immoral. Catholics and Mormons(unfortunatly) still have the highest birth rate.
How do we solve the problem? We Christians have more babies than the SECULARISTS. Most Christians only have 2 kids while, Liberal Secularist have have 1 and of course most gays just have two cats. It will only take 25 year of having all Christian families having more than 4 kids to out number all the secularist 3 to 1.
You outnumber the immoral and vote them out of office. It is a simple plan, but it will cause you to be less selfish. You have two extra kids and instead of driving a BMW, drive a Ford. Sacrifice for the Glory of God and the Moral compass of our country. John Paul II "theology of the Body" is a great read.
For those who suggest that the issue of marriage (or civil unions) is best left up to the states, it's important to remember that the federal government has a vested interest in married couples for the purposes of income taxes and Social Security benefits. From the fed's point of view, it wouldn't do for a couple to be considered married in one state, then magically "UN-married" once they decide to move somewhere else.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE:
While I agree with the general premise of the article I disagree about the means... We get the government we deserve. If Christians would get off their butts and vote for Godly leadership we wouldn't be in this mess. Feminism and liberalism and political correctness has put the fear of Satan into the hearts of God's people.
We don't need more laws, we need righteous men to step up and take back our nation. It is claimed that 80% o f this nations people profess a belief in God.. Baloney.... not unless their God is named Baal. The last time I checked God's people turn from their wicked ways in order that God may bless us...
9/11 was a wake up call not to the unrighteous but those who have fallen asleep in the faith.