culture

Same-Sex Marriage: One of the Biggest Battles in 2005

By Paul Strand
Washington Sr. Correspondent

CBN.com – ANNAPOLIS, Maryland - Looking back on 2005 here in the U.S., same-sex marriage was one of the biggest cultural battles this year.

Rallies in places as diverse as California and Maryland were aimed at getting religious believers out of their pews and into this battle. Organizers at a Maryland rally said that some 500 churches across the state had pledged to become involved.

It does appear that the conservative citizens who identify "moral values" as their number one concern are waking up over this issue.

They have been turning out in droves to vote for just about any ballot measure that preserves traditional marriage.

Alan Sears, co-author of "The Homosexual Agenda," declared, "Every time the people have been allowed to decide, by overwhelming margins, they've said 'we reaffirm the plan that God laid out for marriage in Genesis. And we don't want any of these rewrites, and we don't want activist judges forcing us to take these changes.'"

Many homosexuals and their allies look at all these states voting to ban gay marriage and see it as proof of bigotry and homophobia on the part of many Americans.

Steve Kay from suburban Annapolis, has three gay children. He said, "They're basically preaching hatred against gays...religious hatred against gays."

But many opponents of gay marriage say this isn't about being anti-homosexual at all -- it's about preserving an important building block of civilization.

Rev. Richard Bowers, chairman of the group Defend Maryland Marriage, asserted, "We were told to populate this world, multiply and be fruitful, and those unions do not have that capability, even on their best day."

"When anyone can be married to anyone else, no one's really married at all. And I think same-sex marriage doesn't expand the institution of marriage; it serves to dissolve it," remarked Delegate Herb McMillan (R-Annapolis)

One thing a lot of ordinary folks say is, 'What does this issue have to do with me? What do I care if homosexuals get married?' But those who are leaders of the pro-marriage movement say it may have a lot to do with you in the future, and your faith.

Pastor Guy Carey from Immanuel’s Church in Silver Spring, Maryland observed, "The platform from which this issue of same-sex marriage is being approached is to identify homosexual marriage as a civil right. If homosexuality is identified as a civil right, that then brings them under the protection of a specialty group...and that when we speak against homosexual behavior as a sin, which our scriptures mandate that we do, then we can be accused of hate speech."

The Reverend Paul Schenck has been involved in hundreds of street protests for pro-life and pro-family causes. He stated, "The implications are dire because you have the perception of a hate crime."

Pastor Carey added, "There've actually been people in this nation arrested for speaking against homosexuality on the basis of the scriptures as hate speech. So it's a major issue, and it can be a real source of future persecution."

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