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Danforth: Ban on gay marriage a silly idea
Houston Chronicle ^ | April 30, 2006 | Associated Press

Posted on 04/30/2006 4:25:57 PM PDT by DBeers

Danforth: Ban on Gay Marriage a Silly Idea

WASHINGTON — Former Sen. John Danforth says a conservative push to ban gay marriage through a constitutional amendment is silly, calling it the latest example of how the political influence of evangelical Christians is hurting the GOP.

Danforth, a Missouri Republican and an Episcopal priest, made the comments in a speech Saturday night to the Log Cabin Republicans, which support gay rights. He said history has shown that attempts to regulate human behavior with constitutional amendments are misguided.

"Once before, the Constitution was amended to try to deal with matters of human behavior; that was prohibition. That was such a flop that that was repealed 13 years later," Danforth said.

Referring to the marriage amendment, he added that perhaps at some point in history there was a constitutional amendment proposed that was "sillier than this one, but I don't know of one."

The Senate is scheduled to vote in June on a constitutional amendment that its supporters hope will head off any decision in the federal courts that could legalize gay marriage. The measure would need to be approved by two-thirds of those voting in the House and Senate and then be ratified by at least 38 state legislatures.

But Danforth said he is opposed. "The basic concept of the Republican Party is to interpret the Constitution narrowly, not expansively, so that legislatures, and especially state legislatures, can work out over a period of time the social issues in our country," he said.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: danforthincloset; episcopal; episcopalianfreaks; episcopalians; fagenabler; faglover; homosexualagenda; homosexualmarriage; idolatry; johndanforth; liberalrepublicans; marriage; pervertedrinospews; pervertperverts; perverts; pervertspervert; pompousbore; purinaboy; religiousleft; rinos; theusualsuspects; waco
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To: DBeers

Amazing to think this is the same guy who Sherpa'd Clarence Thomas during his confirmation process.


61 posted on 04/30/2006 5:32:03 PM PDT by RichInOC (Dating another man is not only a sign of questionable morals but also questionable taste.)
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To: spikeytx86

LOL -it might make a nice greeting card to mail out to democrats?


62 posted on 04/30/2006 5:32:36 PM PDT by DBeers (†)
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To: JohnnyZ
I'm glad he's out of the Senate. And I certainly don't care what opinions he holds about anything.
63 posted on 04/30/2006 5:33:01 PM PDT by isrul
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To: DBeers; mtbopfuyn

Former U.S. Senator and UN Ambassador John Danforth (R-MO) made a strong case against the anti-family constitutional amendment during Log Cabin's National Dinner on Saturday April 29th. Danforth, an ordained Episcopalian Priest, spoke to hundreds of Log Cabin members in Washington, DC. Danforth said, "Some historian should really look at all of the proposals that have been put forth throughout the history of our country for possible Constitutional amendments. Maybe at some point in time there was one that was sillier than this one, but I don't know of one."

Log Cabin Republicans Website

64 posted on 04/30/2006 5:37:17 PM PDT by I got the rope
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To: DBeers
Ah, yes, the Waco stooge evidently thinks that families are rather immaterial to the functioning of civilization.

I hated the bastard when he covered up Reno's little gestapo raid. I hate the bastard even more now.

65 posted on 04/30/2006 5:38:38 PM PDT by Reactionary (The Barking of the Native Moonbat is the Sound of Moral Nitwittery)
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To: Joan Kerrey
It has nothing to do with feeling threatened in the sense you mean. Similarly the falsely created term "homophobic" has nothing to do with fear, but much more with disgust.

Remember it is the gay lobby and the gay sympathizers who have habitually spoken of their own fears and how they feel threatened by the moral boogie men.

In all my years I had never heard there was a right to gay marriage or of any necessary organized opposition to the onward march of gay marriage until morally liberal judges began to take on the costume of gay activism.

66 posted on 04/30/2006 5:44:21 PM PDT by bwc (Big Centralized Government is turning us into just another clone of the European States)
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To: Gorobei

"am sympathetic towards states' rights, but sometimes such rights have to be set aside for the needs of the greater good."

Gee, that sounds like something Hillary would say.

This is not about denying anyone's rights.

Rather better to simply say this: Marriage has been defined as between one man and one woman for 1500 years+ in western legal codes. Affirming that in our Federal Constitution impinges on nobody's rights, but simply affirms traditional marriage for what it is, an important building block of society.


67 posted on 04/30/2006 5:48:44 PM PDT by WOSG (http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/)
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To: DBeers
He said history has shown that attempts to regulate human behavior with constitutional amendments are misguided.

"Once before, the Constitution was amended to try to deal with matters of human behavior;

This is disingenuous. Such an amendment is in no way meant to regulate behavior.

68 posted on 04/30/2006 5:58:25 PM PDT by tallhappy (Juntos Podemos!)
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To: Radix

will voters have a choice? do we have a choice about abortion?

for all of the country club republicans and liberterian types here: "conservatives" are made up several small groups which when working together will make a majority.
If you contry clubbers etc want to block the anti-homo vote, you will LOSE a significant element of your base and you will LOSE elections.

last November, did it not help having numerous anti-homo measures on the ballots in many states?


69 posted on 04/30/2006 6:00:18 PM PDT by Piers-the-Ploughman
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To: DBeers

Splains why he's on Christie Whitman's PAC board.


70 posted on 04/30/2006 6:08:56 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: Reactionary; All

Danforth is probably saying this because he thinks the homosexual lobby will give him money for some business venture or because he wants to run for office again.

This is why we need the volume of more republicans in office. This makes ALL rinos disposable.

With 60+ senators McCains blatherings become irrelevant.


71 posted on 04/30/2006 6:20:29 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: OldFriend

Christi Whitless is a pathetic example of the go along to get along politics of political weakness.

It is very good those two are out of office.


72 posted on 04/30/2006 6:22:52 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: longtermmemmory

Whitman is out there backstabbing the republicans at every turn. She wants her point of view vindicated in the midterms.


73 posted on 04/30/2006 6:26:47 PM PDT by OldFriend (I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.....and My Heart to the Soldier Who Protects It.)
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To: DBeers

Danforth was the author of the white-washed report of Clinton and Reno's extermination of the 20 Texas children in the massacre of the Branch Davidians. He is ungodly.


74 posted on 04/30/2006 6:32:20 PM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: Joan Kerrey
"Those who feel threatened need to get a life."

The real issue is not about gay marriage. It's about allowing the court to re-define a legal term which is etched in stone all around the world. If it goes unchallenged, precedence will have been established, allowing the court to re-define ANY legal term to suit its socialist agenda.

The court has usurped Congress on this one. Congress relies on legal definitions when they create laws. Why even create laws if the court can arbitrarily overturn the law with a stroke of the pen and a hammer of the gavel?

Imagine the fun a commie court would have with the word, 'arms,' as in the Second Amendment. Or the phrase, 'due process,' and that's just for starters.

You don't kow what you're asking for if you don't feel threatened by this.

75 posted on 04/30/2006 6:32:58 PM PDT by Eastbound
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To: DBeers
Danforth, a Missouri Republican and an Episcopal priest..

:) I mean, would you believe this a--?... boy, that is one less Rino to worry about. I Just wished these people retired gracefully and just disappeared from the public eye.

There is not question that if had not been for the religious right, the homos were planning to have the military dressed in skirts and high heels by now... :)... unfortunatedly, those plans hit a little bump.

76 posted on 04/30/2006 6:41:45 PM PDT by ElPatriota (Let's not forget, we are all still friends despite our differences)
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To: OldFriend

Christine Whitless is knows her Rino views have no future in the absence of moral relativism.

She is probably one of the cabal who wants to help Trent "the weakling" Lott back in power.

Eventually Whitless and her Rinos will take over the democrat party to revive it after it is dead.


77 posted on 04/30/2006 6:50:36 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: kittymyrib

He was probably "paid off" somehow to ridiclule the Federal Marriage Amendment because it is part of the homosexual political playbook to ridicule opposition to homosexual normalizing of their deviancy.


78 posted on 04/30/2006 6:53:02 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: DBeers
Why do they call themselves "Log" Cabin Republicans?

(ducking)

79 posted on 04/30/2006 6:54:28 PM PDT by manwiththehands (No, usted no puede!)
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To: spikeytx86

Whether we could get even votes or states is another matter altogether. Whether the federal government has the "right" to determine who it enters into contracts with is what is being discussed.

The proposed amendment would not interfere with the individual states recognition or lack of recognition of homosexual “marriage”. It would simply state, as far as the federal government was concerned, legal marriage would consist of one man and one woman, regardless of what an specific state recognizes.

I am not sure who you think should have the power to set federal law. If not the federal government, then who? Keep in mind, this amendment would not interfere with a states recognition of a homosexual “marriage” if the state so chooses to recognize it.


80 posted on 04/30/2006 7:01:19 PM PDT by dpa5923 (Small minds talk about people, normal minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas.)
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