Issues@Hand
AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs
July 2004 – With same-sex marriages currently being performed in Massachusetts and being perhaps only a court-ruling away in other states, AFA is urging pastors to begin organizing rallies of concerned citizens. The goal? Convince members of Congress of the need to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.
At its Web site, AFA notes that such rallies have already begun springing up around the nation. In Seattle, Washington, for example, churches of different denominations and races joined together to rally on behalf of traditional marriage. Some 20,000 people attended. In addition to smaller communities, rallies were also held in Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Columbus, Ohio; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Atlanta, Georgia.
“Protect Marriage Rallies are an opportunity to defend and promote traditional marriage between a man and a woman as the God-ordained building block of the family and bedrock of a civil society,” said AFA chairman Don Wildmon. “It’s time to work together as we never have to protect marriage.”
How other communities can organize rallies:
• All it takes is for one pastor to decide that the traditional, biblical concept of marriage is a concept for which it is worth fighting. One pastor calls another. Once they agree to get involved, they then call other pastors to come together to discuss a community-wide Protect Marriage Rally.
• After getting as many pastors as possible to participate, they decide on the location, date, time and participants. Participating churches can agree to share in the expense and raise the funds from their respective churches. It is recommended that all races be invited and that leaders of all denominations and races be included in the planning and execution of the rally.
• Promote the Protect Marriage Rally with a press announcement to local newspapers, and radio and TV stations. If there is a local Christian radio station, get that station to help sponsor and promote the rally. Churches should promote the rally in their bulletins, newsletters and from the pulpit.
• At the rally, pass out an information sheet containing the names, phone numbers and addresses (including local and district offices) of U.S. representatives and senators. Urge those attending the rally to call their members of Congress and ask them to support the Federal Marriage Amendment. Encourage pastors to sign the petition found at www.churchcoalition.com.
• Churches should follow up by running the names and phone numbers of representatives and senators in their bulletins and newsletters, and then encouraging folks to call. Members of Congress should be asked to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment. It will cost an individual only about 30 cents to make such a phone call.
The Protect Marriage Rally site has a list of those in Congress who have agreed to co-sponsor the Federal Marriage Amendment. “If your representative and senators are not on the list, then they are willing to let an activist federal judge decide this issue,” said Wildmon. “Demand to know exactly where he or she stands, and don’t allow them to give you the run-around.”
Wildmon said that the Federal Marriage Amendment is the only hope for protecting traditional marriage. “One federal judge has already upheld the Massachusetts law as legal,” he said. “We expect that ultimately – perhaps in the next year or two – the U.S. Supreme Court, which legalized sodomy, will strike down all remaining federal and state defenses against homosexual marriage. Only an amendment to the Constitution will prevent that from happening.”
The time to act is now, Wildmon said. “This issue should be decided by the people, not liberal, activist judges.” 
