Posted on 07/21/2011 5:41:19 AM PDT by markomalley
(CNSNews.com) – “Traditional marriage is a sacred institution and serves as the cornerstone of our society,” Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
The panel is considering a bill, the Respect for Marriage Act (S-598), that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and give same-sex couples the same rights and privileges of married couples under federal law. President Barack Obama is among those who support S-598.
One conservative group called Wednesday’s Judiciary Committee hearing “a dog and pony show” for the media and for homosexuals, who comprise a “very influential portion” of the Democrats’ political base. The Family Research Council also noted that the witness list was “stacked” in favor of those who want the Defense of Marriage Act overturned.
Congress passed DOMA in 1996 and then-President Bill Clinton signed it into law. It defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman and says that no state has to recognize homosexual ‘marriage’ performed in other states. At the time, no state allowed same-sex marriage, but homosexual marriage is now legal in six states and the District of Columbia.
King testified that traditional marriage is a “core building block” of society” and that it takes a traditional marriage to produce children for “the next generation.” “We cannot afford to devalue it with legislation like S-598 and we must oppose any effort that would diminish the definition of marriage,” he said.
King cited two U.S. Supreme Court decisions that affirm this view of marriage, including one decision dating back to1818 when the court said, “Marriage is the foundation of the family and of society, without which there would be neither civilization nor progress.” In 1942 the court stated, “Marriage and procreation are fundamental to the very existence and survival of the race.”
King said the government is rightfully interested in protecting the institution of marriage and that DOMA has successfully done so since it became law.
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), on the other hand, compared DOMA to the “bitter fruits of racism and discrimination” he suffered as a child. He called DOMA a “dark stain on our Democracy” and said when the law was passed in 1996, “the taste of that old bitter fruit filled my mouth once again.”
Lewis called for “full marriage equality for all citizens” and said the government “should not trample on the rights of our gay brothers and sisters.”
Thirty states have laws that mirror DOMA, including Iowa. In fact, King helped draft Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act while serving in the state senate. On Wednesday, he told the Judiciary Committee that when three state judges struck down Iowa’s defense of marriage law, the people responded by voting all three out of office last November.
King said that never in the history of Iowa have three judges been voted off the bench in one election cycle.
As for the argument by opponents of DOMA that people can’t help who they fall in love with, the congressman speculated whether that same argument would be made for incest or polygamy.
King also argued that marriage is not a right: "A marriage license is offered because that's a permit to do that which is otherwise illegal," King said: "It's not a right to get married; that's why states regulate it by licensing. They want to encourage marriage."
Heterosexuals set the stage for all of this. By our devaluing marriage through informal civil marriages (e.g., drive through wedding chapels???), serial monogamy, no-fault divorce, and the like, we effectively removed marriage from being something sacred, instituted by God, into being a matter of convenience: a means to gain an extra tax deduction and to extend company fringe benefits.
Yes, I know, not all of us do that. But here's a news flash: immorality and narcissism are very much so in style these days. So much so that, any longer, it is the normative behavior in most of our society. Those of us who attempt to live a moral life, in fact, could, any more, be considered the countercultural ones.
</rant>
I'm glad King said what he did. But, in truth, as long as "traditional" marriage is so debased in our society and its laws, there won't be much of a defense against the threats that attempt to pervert it farther.
St Paul very importantly identified homosexuality as an effect of society's abandonment of God. In Romans 1:26 he said For this cause God delivered them up to shameful affections... And the Cause? See Romans 1:21: Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God, or given thanks; but became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened.
ping
Traditional marriage was abolished in 1969 and is now forbidden in all 50 states.
“Respect for Marriage Act”?!?!?!
Orwellian government language. The destruction of marriage is tagged the respect for marriage. We have the Nightmare act called the Dream Act and Anybody-who dares-question-this-isn’t-a-Patriot Act. Acts of congress should just go by numbers and let the people decide what they actually are.
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the homosexual agenda or moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic homosexual agenda keyword search
[ Add keyword homosexual agenda to flag FR articles to this ping list ]
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]
Absolutely.
What we are seeing now is the reaping of what was sowed decades before. The only solution is a wholesale, grassroots repentance and turning to God.
While morality indeed cannot be legislated, as laws don't change hearts, the government has no business sanctioning such depravity. Those leaders who do so have betrayed a trust given to them and will some day have to answer for it.
Noting that the first State-sanctioned, politically-correct marriages were arranged to protect European Royal Houses against bastardy (before DNA) - I think we should be very careful when recommending that the State have influence/control over any personal, religious, spiritual committment.
However, I liked the rant; - I am acquainted with more people ( men & women) who are on their third marriage, than couples who have celebrated 25 years together. IMHO - Marriage is no longer viewd as a sanctuary for a man and woman to build a future with children - it’s ‘buy one - then get another one’.
Excellent point and it is the reason that the only cure for what ails America is The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians need to realize this and get out there and preach. Preaching has become a dirty word in our society by the clever design of Satan because it is the vehicle that The LORD uses to save souls.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.