By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post.
(PHOTO: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST) Protesters against gay marriage shout slogans in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, March 26, 2013.
Religious leaders from a wide array of denominations have released a joint statement reaffirming their support for traditional marriage ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing of oral arguments on Tuesday. The Christian leaders have said that reaffirming marriage as being between one man and one woman is vital for protecting children and offering them both a father and a mother.
“As religious leaders from various faith communities, we acknowledge that marriage is the foundation of the family where children are raised by a mother and a father together,” the statement reads, in part.
The Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Most Rev. Foley Beach, the archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, and Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, the archbishop of San Francisco and chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, are just some of the notable names that have signed the letter.
On April 28, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether states have the right to determine their own definition of marriage, or whether the Constitution requires all 50 states to make same-sex marriage legal.
Presently 36 states, as well as the District of Colombia, have legalized same-sex marriage, while 13 states have bans on the practice.
The joint letter states that defending the traditional definition of marriage is about the well-being of children, and insists that every child has the right to both a mother and a father.
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What is interesting is that the assertion that kids do best with a mom and dad is just simply not supported by any research. The Prop 8 testimony showed the vacuousness of that argument.
Bilge…
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There are no studies that can demonstrate conclusively that children of same-sex parents are unharmed because the studies that have been done are little more than politicized conclusions based on self-reporting parents who are not going to indict their own parenting skills. Other studies used poor statistical standards, too small non-random samples, and questionable methodologies without controls to remove bias.
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It’ll take a while before solid research evidence can show one way or the other. If SSM is anything like the easy divorce movement coming out of the 60’s and 70’s…they will claim preliminary social science is own their side and the American this, that, and the other association will be under intense political pressure to conform. Only after decades of careful research was it shown conclusively that children do suffer from the experience of divorce and that the impact on society is negative.
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But by then, as always, it’ll will be too late and children will be harmed. Adult children of SSP are already beginning to tell their stories and they leave a lot to be desired.
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Across thousands of years and hundreds of cultures marriage has been one or more women married to one or more men…but always between the sexes…never the same sex. Suddenly, we feel brazen enough to redefine reality. Every court and institution in the land could declare this afternoon that triangles are now squares…but it would still be false. It is the same with SSM. The only way to remedy this situation is to harass into silence, imprison or kill everyone who refuses to bend a knee to this new decree. Stalin used this tactic, changed the meaning of language and had enemies declared “former persons” so that he could ship them off to Siberia to have them killed.
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Yes…I know. Shrill, harsh, and crazy, but it’s true and it’s already happening to Christians in other places. A tribulation is coming.
We are in an age where even science is polluted by politics. Consideration of God’s grand design and my own lifetime of observation lead me to conclude that children are better off raised by a father and a mother. There is coming a time when public expression of that belief will not be tolerated.
Whether or not ‘credible research’ exists is not my gold standard. Just today Pepsi announced it would discontinue using aspartame in its diet drinks, despite tons of data the sugar substitute is harmful. We are bombarded by research and studies everyday; each bent, twisted, analyzed through different glasses. In other words, some study, or studies, most likely from a Godless taxpayer supported leftist university, or similar think tank, isn’t my gold standard: The Holy Bible is.
Could we have a classic church vs state case here? Could the Supreme Court force a local Session to authorize a same sex marriage? I wonder.
Those so called ‘crazy social and fiscal conservatives’ warned us years ago about the downfall of Amerika caused by ‘the enemy within.’ Now I know what they were talking about. Just study history of great empires, nations, etc. It’s not just our pathetic moral decline; it’s also our unbiblical financial/consumer condition, $l8 trillion debt on taxpayers’ (and their children and grandchildren) backs, the list goes on. The rest of the world is watching, and even scheming/cheering, our downfall. These are troubling times when we need to organize and pray to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, healing and restoration.
Actually there are studies that support SS parents as equal in raising well-adjusted children. The Prop 8 trial in 2010 was pretty conclusive in showing those opposed to SSM and parenting had no evidence of their claims that it hurts children.
O and Robert Wright you are very much incorrect.
A little girl of my acquaintance said to her friend, “You’re lucky; you have a mom.”
How can we not acknowledge that a child who who is missing their own mom or dad – for any reason – experiences loss?
And how much worse for them when their father was a sperm donor, or their mother was someone in a third-world country who carried another woman’s egg?
I couldn’t agree more! If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. This is what we need to do, and we need to do it quickly, because right now, we are losing this spiritual war!
I really doubt that, but I understand that many children of raised by same-sex couples turn out okay, or even well. Children always do better with good parenting, and the normal course is for a family to have a father and a mother, and that is the best circumstance. That’s natural, and without dispute. However, there are many bad parents out there, and we’ve all heard too many cases of abuse. A good same-sex parenting couple would be better than a bad or abusive parenting situation. I don’t dispute that either.
As Christians, we are not utilitarian or pragmatic, we follow a higher standard, and Scripture teaches against same-sex marriage. The government should recognize what marriage truly is, but they will do what they will do. The government does not necessarily follow Biblical guidelines, though they would do better if they did. However, good laws will not be the salvation of this nation. The good law given by God did not save Israel, it only produced legalists. It is Christ who saves, and the Church as a message for the nations.
“It is Christ who saves.” From what, and for what purpose?