Funny Things

In preparation for what will be a major political fight, I re-read the recent Lawrence decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court overthrew the anti-sodomy laws in Texas and other states. I can't describe how dangerous the reasoning of the decision is. Not only does it give homosexual sex constitutional protection, but it also opens wide the door to same-sex "marriage." And state courts are now moving to legalize gay "marriage." It appears to be, not a matter of if, but when the Court imposes gay "marriage." But a funny thing has happened. In a Gallup poll in May, the percentage of Americans who opposed same-sex "marriage" was 49 percent. But the same question, asked a month after the Lawrence decision this summer, saw the percentage opposing same-sex "marriage" climb to 57 percent. This happened despite a barrage of favorable commentary about gay rights in the mass media. And funny things keep on happening. Last month, the Episcopal Church gave its "bishops the option of allowing the blessing of same-sex relationships." A victory for gay rights? Well, a Washington Post poll found that by nearly a two-to-one margin, Americans opposed that decision. Interestingly, the opposition was not only strong among regular churchgoers, but also among those who "rarely or never" attend church. The same Post poll found that only 37 percent favored civil unions that provided same-sex couples "some of the rights and legal protections of marriage." The Post characterized this as a "precipitous" drop in support. What happened? Well, one explanation is that gay rights advocates may have overreached. They mistook tolerance for gay individuals as support for their entire social agenda. And as political scientist Alan Wolfe notes, there are limits to the tolerance of ordinary Americans. One limit is the doors to our churches. Most Americans consider marriage to be an "essentially . . . religious institution." Nearly 90 percent of Americans are married in religious ceremonies. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that when gay rights threaten to change marriage, many Americans start re-thinking their support for gay rights. Knowing that the Supreme Court could take marriage out of our hands, the American people are looking for ways to keep control. This is, after all, a democracy. And a funny thing is happening in Canada. An Ontario court recognized same-sex "marriage," and a bill to redefine marriage was introduced into Parliament. Now Canadians are writing to their legislators saying that they won't stand for it. Good for them. The polls tell us that here in the United States the public is waking up. People don't want same-sex "marriages" or "civil unions" -- the phrase homosexual activists are now using. This is our moment to act. The Church must be energized, and we Christians must equip ourselves with the information and arguments to make our case to our neighbors and our legislators. Call us here (1-877-3-CALLBP) so we can give you that kind of information. We need to build support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. An amendment like that will take away the Court's ability to impose same-sex "marriage." The solution to this contentious issue is to let democracy work. For further reading and information: Call 1-877-3-CALLBP for the BreakPoint Marriage Amendment Information Packet. It includes this article by William Bennett, a chapter from Bennett's book The Broken Hearth on marriage and family, this article by J. Budziszewski, the text of the Federal Marriage Amendment, and a chart showing the amendment's legal impact. Richard Morin and Alan Cooperman, "Majority against Blessing Gay Unions," Washington Post, 14 August 2003, A01. Shawn Hubler, "Same-sex nuptials have fight ahead," Los Angeles Times, 31 August 2003. Susan Page, "Poll shows backlash on gay issues," USA Today, 28 July 2003. BreakPoint Commentary No. 030807, "The Struggle for Marriage." "Our Last, Best Hope" -- In this "BreakPoint This Week" interview, Managing Editor Jim Tonkowich speaks with Wilberforce Forum Board of Reference member Dr. Robert George, professor of jurisprudence and professor of politics at Princeton University. They discuss the Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, being proposed to prohibit courts from legitimizing same-sex "marriage." "Trouble in the Church" -- In this "BreakPoint This Week" interview, Managing Editor Jim Tonkowich speaks with Rev. Dr. John Yates II of The Falls Church, and Episcopalian church in Virginia, about the decision to elect an openly gay bishop.

09/3/03