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Seeking Justice: Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ and the Children (includes sample ed letter)
BreakPoint with Charles Colson ^ | 25 May 04 | Mark Earley

Posted on 05/25/2004 1:13:13 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback

Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.

In a TV debate a distinguished looking pastor argued in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment. He quoted Scripture and was eloquent, talking about God’s plan for society.

His adversary, a young man with one of the gay-rights groups, looked at him at the end of his discourse and said, “But pastor, we’re not asking for a church marriage; we’re asking for civil marriage.” The pastor had no response, and as a result, in the minds of many listeners, the gay argument won the day.

To effectively present the case for marriage as between one man and one woman, we need to appeal to concepts that the secular mind understands. The secular mind understands justice, and we would do well to frame the issue as such.

Justice is about how a just society decides conflicting claims between two groups. Having served as Attorney General of Virginia, I know firsthand that it is not unusual for courts, legislatures, and the people at-large to have to balance the competing interests in society.

In balancing the scales of justice in this case, on one side we have a very small minority, who already have the right to join in a sexual union but who now want that sexual union recognized on the same basis as a heterosexual union. Indeed, they want to change the structure and definition of marriage itself to suit their sexual practices.

On the other side of the scales we have the needs and rights of children who need to be raised in a natural and moral environment that enables them to grow into responsible, healthy citizens.

Now the classical definition of justice is to give each person his or her due. So then what do we do and what do we mean by each person getting his due in this case when on one side of the scales of justice are the interests of one group, in this case homosexuals, and on the other side the interests of another group, children? This is the core of the issue: Whose rights will we recognize? Whose will we protect?

Millennia of human history, natural law, and recent scientific studies have clearly shown that that the role of a man and a woman in the family are complimentary and that children need both. Moms fulfill a role; dads fulfill a role.

In “Homosexual Parenting: Placing Children at Risk,” after citing a number of studies, Dr. Timothy Dailey concludes: “The complementary aspects of parenting that mothers and fathers contribute to the rearing of children are rooted in the innate differences of the two sexes, and can no more be arbitrarily substituted than can the very nature of male and female. [Indeed, despite] accusations of sexism and homophobia . . . , [despite] attempts to deny the importance of both mothers and fathers in the rearing of children, the oldest family structure of all turns out to be the best.”

Children need a mom and a dad.

And so we’re not asking for an unjust amendment that discriminates against those who practice homosexuality. We’re asking for an amendment that produces justice, by seeking society’s very best interest in the way in which we raise future generations. Why support the Federal Marriage Amendment? Justice.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: Massachusetts; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: breakpoint; homosexualagenda; markearley; prisoners; samesexmarriage
Earley is dead on here. Half of those who don't see the danger think we're using the Bible as a textbook for Homophobia 101 and the other half don't see us as haters but also don't understand how bad this will be for the structure of our society. Like so many other issues, we need to got to the secular public with the secular argument and win, and we need to go to the Church with Scripture and call them to arms. Make the secularist liberals eat "It's for the children," because this time it is. Lastly, remember that you may be able to win the most ardent pro-gay person over by getting them to think about the implications of the Goodridge case: Government by and for the people is being exchanged for government by four people. Nobody sane can believe that is good.

Here's a letter I wrote to our local paper in response to a column by a member of the Religious Left. She was trying to use both secular and (tortured) scriptural arguments to promote gay marriage. Not to toot my own horn, but I think this is a good example of all the Left's silly arguments in this area and how to dump them (especially their charges of bigotry) right back in their lap:

Harriett Gustason is operating under serious misconceptions in her support of gay marriage.

Misconception 1: Opposing gay marriage is judgmental or bigoted.

Judgement is God’s alone, but withholding judgement doesn’t require giving up discernment or endorsing what is wrong. It isn’t our place to judge a thief or alcoholic either, but no one would propose that we enshrine theft or drunkenness in law and call it “equality.”

Misconception 2: Gay marriage wouldn’t harm our society.

Gustason can find her reality check in a recent AP report (carried by the Journal-Standard) of a Utah trio using pro-gay court rulings to demand legalized polygamy. How long until an incestuous couple demands the same State endorsement? The Weekly Standard also recently reported on the disaster gay marriage has been in Scandinavia, with “less frequent marriage, more frequent out-of-wedlock birth, and skyrocketing family dissolution.”

Misconception 3: Defending marriage violates church-state separation.

Defending marriage neither establishes a state church or curtails free exercise of worship. Civilizations of every spiritual view– atheist, pagan, Jewish, Christian– have defined marriage as one man and one woman. How is church-state separation helped if a court dumps that pluralistic definition and replaces it with Gustason’s own view of Christian doctrine?

Misconception 4: Gustason herself is being “non-judgmental.”

She says, “Non-judgement has been my stance,” but how does she characterize those who disagree with her on this issue? “[A] creeping movement” similar to colonial witch hunters and the KKK, “radical, emotional”. Sounds more than a little judgmental to me!

Gay marriage defies common sense and is destroying Swedish, Norwegian and Danish culture. No PC sermon is going to change that.

Regards, [Secret Identity removed by censor]

1 posted on 05/25/2004 1:13:19 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback
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To: agenda_express; BA63; banjo joe; Believer 1; billbears; Blood of Tyrants; ChewedGum; ...
BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

2 posted on 05/25/2004 1:15:01 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (Pre-empt the third murder attempt: Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo!)
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To: FormerLib

Ping!


3 posted on 05/25/2004 1:15:43 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (Pre-empt the third murder attempt: Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo!)
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To: little jeremiah; Mr. Silverback
BTTT


What We Can Do To Help Defeat the "Gay" Agenda


Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Version 1.1)


Myth and Reality about Homosexuality--Sexual Orientation Section, Guide to Family Issues"

4 posted on 05/25/2004 2:06:14 PM PDT by EdReform (Support Free Republic - All donations are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support!)
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To: Mr. Silverback

BTTT


5 posted on 05/25/2004 2:10:12 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Legislatures are so outdated. If you want real political victory, take your issue to court.)
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To: *Homosexual Agenda; EdReform; scripter; GrandMoM; backhoe; Yehuda; Clint N. Suhks; saradippity; ...

Homosexual Agenda Ping - back on the job, I'm gone for a few hours and look what happens!

I'll read them all later tonight -

Open for comments!

Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist


6 posted on 05/25/2004 8:48:07 PM PDT by little jeremiah ("Gay Marriage" - a Weapon of Mass. Destruction!)
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To: Mr. Silverback

It's all about America's filthy, perverted politics!

America has misplaced its moral compass and having it in our hands is what kept us ahead of the "pack" of slavering, communist/socialist wolves. The remedy, of course, is to cleanse our "central government" and get rid of all the dead weight: like Byrd-Brain, Specter, Daschole, Kennedy, The Twins From Maine, The two Rinos from Ohio....make no mistake, we're in trouble both from the DemocRATs and the RepublicRATs!

We need to rid our society of political correctness, pornography and the mysterious "love" affair the left (and our complicit politicians) are having with homosexuals that does nothing but further their demonic, sinful and disgusting lifestyle. They, of course, want to share this lifestyle with the rest of Americans by ruining the institution of marriage and family and they want to get their evil, clammy hands on the youngsters!

Americans need to stop moddy-coddling perversion; turn their backs on these satanists and relegate them to the sewers and dump-sites from which they spawned.


7 posted on 05/26/2004 6:25:03 AM PDT by JesseHousman (Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal)
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To: JesseHousman

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.


8 posted on 05/26/2004 6:47:00 AM PDT by Mr. Silverback (Pre-empt the third murder attempt: Pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo!)
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To: Mr. Silverback
Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.

Don't get me started.

9 posted on 05/26/2004 8:43:29 AM PDT by JesseHousman (Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal)
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