Issues@Hand
AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs
July 2003 – If Americans want to continue defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, they’d better act quickly.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court is expected to rule this summer that homosexual marriage is legal. Because of the U.S. Constitution’s “full faith and credit” clause, legal experts believe that every other state in the country might be forced to accept the legalization of homosexual marriage by recognizing same-sex marriages performed in the Bay State.
In addition to the Massachusetts case, a judge in New Jersey was expected in late June to hear Lewis v. Harris, another case that could have similar implications for that state and the rest of the nation.
This pressure to legalize homosexual marriage comes despite the fact that a majority of Americans support the traditional definition of marriage, according to a recent national Wirthlin survey. The poll found 62% agree that marriage is the union between one man and one woman. Only 26% disagreed, while 12% were unsure.
“Who would have dreamed, even a half dozen years ago, that we would be on the verge of a day when the institution of marriage, created by God Himself for one man and one woman, is opened to homosexuals and eventually every other sexual orientation?” said Tim Wildmon, AFA president.
As judges in the Northeast prepare to issue verdicts in these cases, Congress has moved once again to protect marriage with the Federal Marriage Amendment (H.J. Res. 56). That legislation, introduced May 21, would not only codify the traditional definition of marriage into the Constitution, it would also clarify that state legislatures – not courts – have the authority to decide issues concerning public marriage benefits.
AFA has launched an online petition initiative to boost the efforts of those in Congress trying to protect marriage. People are urged to visit www.nogaymarriage.com (website no longer active) and sign the petition supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment.
“AFA will not sit idly by while marriage is warped and ultimately scuttled, just so militant homosexuals can dance upon its grave,” Wildmon said. “We encourage Christians to take action on this issue immediately.”
Preventing the courts from deciding what is and isn’t marriage is precisely what some states have already taken measures to do. In May, Texas became the 37th state to enact legislation recognizing as legitimate only the union of a man and a woman. However, without a Constitutional Amendment, some legal experts believe laws like the one in Texas will be overturned by judges. 
