(A3c2c) pro marriage organizations

A monogamous lifelong marriage in which children are gratefully accepted as gifts from God is the starting point for the family, which is the oldest pro life institution and the best social environment for raising children. At this time in history the relentless fury of the culture of death is directed at the family. This war on the family has come in a number of stages. The first was the separation of the procreative act from procreation. The second was the war on the preborn. The third is the attempted destruction of marriage and therefore the family. If successful, this relentless siege will destroy the family and therefore Western Civilization. ********************************************************************************************************************* ******* As of this date, 05-10-07, this folder contains 5 items. ******* item 1 A MUST-READ ARTICLE ON HONOUR OF THE NOBLE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE ******* item 2 MAN/WOMAN MARRIAGE DEFINDED IN TEXAS TEXTBOOK: CONTROVERSIAL ******* item 3 SUMMARY OF PRO MARRIAGE INITIATIVE ******* item 4 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA'S (PCA)'S STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE AND HOMOSEXUALITY ******* item 5 END OF MARRIAGE ********************************************************************************************************************* ******* item 1 A MUST-READ ARTICLE ON HONOUR OF THE NOBLE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE ******* from Robert A. Jason, [email protected] ******* Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 9:11 PM ******* Dear Friends: ******* President Bush has wisely proclaimed the week of October 12-18 as "Marriage Protection Week." The President sure has his priorities straight (I'm ashamed to even mention what our embarrassment of a Prime Minister has done, in contrast.) Marriage and Family are under great threat in our morally-bankrupt world and in dire need of protection. ******* There have been a spate of articles written to honour "Marriage Protection Week." In my humble opinion, the following piece is the most incisive I have read so far, the most profound, in sum: the very best. It springs from the fertile, brilliant mind of David Kupelian, of course. Who else! He has provided us with so many delightfully thoughtful pieces in the past. ******* Without further ado, it is my pleasure to offer you this treat. ******* <><> ******* MARRIAGES MADE IN HEAVEN � AND IN HELL ******* Posted: September 15, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern ******* � 2003 WorldNetDaily.com ******* What is marriage? Why do two people tie a knot between them forever? Why only two people? Why not groupings of three, four or more? ******* Why do men marry women, and women marry men? Why can't men marry men and women marry women? ******* These questions � unspoken and unthought-of by most people in previous generations � are the stuff of headlines, court challenges and tumultuous social upheaval right now. ******* There are other questions. ******* Why does the marital union have to be permanent? Why not just until both parties want to terminate the contract, or even one party? ******* What does marriage have to do with God? Why is it considered a "divine" institution? What does that really mean? ******* The first answer to these questions that comes to mind, of course, is children, without which the human race would shortly die out. A man and a woman are necessary to have children, and a stable, long-term, harmonious relationship between them is necessary for those children to have a decent start in life. ******* Yet, advanced medical technology allows today's same-sex couples to "have their own children" � for instance, lesbian couples using sperm donors. No doubt, before long, the Frankenstein-like sex-change procedures now proliferating (surgical switching of sex organs, and even the removal of healthy breasts to help "transgendered" women feel more like men) will lead to the surgical implantation of a human embryo into a man, so he can "give birth" while being attended to by his loving "husband." And, of course, homosexual adoption has become increasingly accepted. ******* Therefore, considering the current juggernaut to radically redefine marriage � a movement so audaciously challenging our core beliefs � let's clear our minds and objectively, courageously revisit the whole question of marriage and family. ******* Traditionalists claim the stable, loving, monogamous marriage between a man and a woman, along with the children that issue from their union, constitute the very basis for an enlightened civilization. They insist redefining marriage to accommodate same-sex and non-monogamous partnerships will herald the demise of Western Civilization. Are they right? ******* RELIGION AND SEX ******* That bubble of freedom and abundance and blessings we call Western Civilization � and especially America � is a direct outcropping of the Jewish and Christian religions. Despite obvious differences between Judaism and Christianity, the moral laws that guide followers of both are virtually identical, springing from Mosaic Law in the Old Testament. ******* In his award-winning analysis "Judaism, Homosexuality and Civilization," columnist and radio talk-host Dennis Prager takes readers on a jaw-dropping journey into the past, showing how and why Judaism and, later, Christianity, confined sex to lifelong, heterosexual marriage between one man and one woman: ******* When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. ******* It is not overstated to say that the Torah's prohibition of non-marital sex made the creation of Western Civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent dominance of the Western world can largely be attributed to the sexual revolution initiated by Judaism, and later carried forward by Christianity. ******* The revolution consisted of forcing the sexual genie into the marital bottle. It ensured that sex no longer dominated society, heightened male-female love and sexuality (and thereby almost alone created the possibility of love and eroticism within marriage), and began the arduous task of elevating the status of women. ******* By contrast, throughout the ancient world, and up to the recent past in many parts of the world, sexuality infused virtually all of society. ******* Human sexuality, especially male sexuality, is utterly wild. Men have had sex with women and with men; with little girls and young boys; with a single partner and in large groups; with total strangers and immediate family members; and with a variety of domesticated animals. There is little, animate or inanimate, that has not excited some men sexually. ******* Among the consequences of the unchanneled sex drive is the sexualization of everything � including religion. Unless the sex drive is appropriately harnessed (not squelched � which leads to its own destructive consequences), higher religion could not have developed. ******* Thus, the first thing Judaism did was to de-sexualize God � "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" by his will, not through any sexual behavior. This broke with all other religions, and it alone changed human history. ******* Prager goes on to catalog the various gods of the ancient world, showing that virtually all of them were depicted as engaging in sexual relations. Thus, "given the sexual activity of the gods, it is not surprising that the religions themselves were replete with all forms of sexual activity," he explains, citing numerous examples of ancient and even more recent religious traditions that included "sacred" ceremonial sex of various sorts and ritual prostitution within religious sanctuaries, such as sex between Hindu monks and nuns, and even sex with children. ******* Judaism placed controls on sexual activity. It could no longer dominate religion and social life. It was to be sanctified � which in Hebrew means "separated" � from the world and placed in the home, in the bed of husband and wife. Judaism's restricting of sexual behavior was one of the essential elements that enabled society to progress. ******* Along with ethical monotheism, the revolution begun by the Torah when it declared war on the sexual practices of the world wrought the most far-reaching changes in history. ******* AND WHAT ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY? ******* "Judaism alone declared homosexuality wrong," says Prager, with Christianity later adopting the same moral values. "And it said so in the most powerful and unambiguous language it could: 'Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is an abomination.' (Leviticus 18:22) 'And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed an abomination.' (Leviticus 20:13)" ******* Again citing biblical authority, Prager affirms the oft-repeated quip about God not having started off the human race with Adam and Steve. ******* God's first declaration about man (the human being generally, and the male specifically) is, "It is not good for man to be alone." Now, presumably, in order to solve the problem of man's aloneness, God could have made another man, or even a community of men. ******* But instead God solved man's aloneness by creating one other person, a woman � not a man, not a few women, not a community of men and women. Man's solitude was not a function of his not being with other people; it was a function of his being without a woman. ******* Judaism, explains Prager, "is worried about what happens to men and to society when men do not channel their drives into marriage." ******* "In this regard," he adds, "the Torah and Judaism were highly prescient: The overwhelming majority of violent crimes are committed by unmarried men. Thus, male celibacy, a sacred state in many religions, is a sin in Judaism. In order to become fully human, male and female must join. In the words of Genesis, "God created the human ... male and female He created them." ******* SOCIOLOGY AND STATISTICS ******* For those not persuaded by religion's guidance on important topics like marriage, there's always social science, which can claim a more tangible and terrestrial source of authority: research studies. And yet, the best-selling book, "The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier and Better Off Financially" � steeped in scientific research � almost never saw the light of day a couple of years ago. ******* Harvard University Press had contracted with University of Chicago sociologist and professor Linda Waite, a self-described "liberal Democrat," along with co-author Maggie Gallagher, to write a book based on Waite's studies about marriage. ******* Apparently, the Harvard-based publishing house expected the book to do the politically correct thing and "dis" marriage. But, as the Harvard scholars reviewing the manuscript discovered, it revealed married men and women live happier, healthier, more financially secure lives, and even have "more and better sex" � all based on scientific studies. So, the university's publication board members decided at the last minute not to publish the book they themselves had commissioned. One Harvard Press reviewer said she didn't like the book's "tone." That's about as close to an answer as the public ever got since the Press did not return several calls from WorldNetDaily. ******* By way of "tonal" comparison, check out another Harvard Press author, feminist Catharine MacKinnon who in her recent book compares male sexual desire to rape � whether women consent to sex or not. Expressing what one reviewer called "a whole-hog hatred of men," MacKinnon explains: "What in the liberal view looks like love and romance looks a lot like hatred and torture to the feminist." ******* Although Harvard turned down "The Case for Marriage" at the 11th hour, it was ultimately published by Doubleday and received wide readership and critical acclaim. ******* Yet, the mindset that is somehow mysteriously offended by marital bliss is nothing new on university campuses and throughout the radical feminist movement. Consider what other feminist standard-bearers have said about marriage: ******* "Being a housewife is an illegitimate profession ... the choice to serve and be protected and plan toward being a family-maker is a choice that shouldn't be. The heart of radical feminism is to change that." � Vivian Gornick, feminist author, University of Illinois, The Daily Illini, April 25, 1981 ******* "The idea that someone should be supported within marriage can never find acceptance in a socialist society. For this reason, marriage, as an institution where one non-working partner is supported, must be abolished, the children should be supported by the state and cared for and/or raised collectively and every adult be self-sufficient." � Radical Swedish feminist Barbro Backberger ******* "In order to raise children with equality, we must take them away from families, and communally raise them." � Dr. Mary Jo Bane, feminist and assistant professor of education at Wellesley College and associate director of the school's Center for Research on Women ******* "Since marriage constitutes slavery for women, it is clear that the women's movement must concentrate on attacking this institution. Freedom for women cannot be won without the abolition of marriage." � Radical feminist leader Sheila Cronan ******* Ooooooo-kay. But remember, while such rage-filled feminists have beaten the anti-marriage drum for a long time, their savage denunciations of patriarchy have always come from the very margins of public debate and public policy. Today, calls for what amounts to the destruction of marriage � through Orwellian redefinition to accommodate same-sex "unions" � dominate the news media, policy debate and courtrooms. ******* Let's sum up where we are so far: Children, greater happiness, financial well-being, social cohesiveness, sex, diminished crime rates among married men, and so on � these are widely reported as some of the more tangible fruits of good marriages. ******* And yet, that is about as far as the three-dimensional world of conventional journalism is likely to be able to take its analysis of the marital union. ******* Everything else having to do with marriage � the deepest reasons for it, the personal blessings available through a committed union, the reasons most men and women need marriage to become truly whole, the reasons God forbids homosexual and other non-marital sex, the real reasons marriage has been attacked throughout this generation � are all spiritual. ******* As any soul who is sensitive to truth will readily recognize, a lot of what really goes on between women and men, looked at from the deepest level, is not only beyond journalism, it's almost beyond religion, beyond words themselves. ******* But let me try, however vaguely and imperfectly, to point to a few things. ******* KNIGHTS AND LADIES ******* "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." "The shortest books ever written are 'What Men Know About Women' and 'What Women Know About Men.'" "Sign above a saloon: 'Men are fools, and women are devils in disguise." ******* Men and women, it seems, are inscrutable to each other. ******* Men, until they mature, have a fantasy of how they think women are, or how they should be, or how they would like them to be. Namely, they think women were born to love and support insecure, egotistical males � mentally, emotionally and sexually � and help them feel good about themselves, thus making them "whole." It's the subject of all popular songs from the beginning of time: "Baby I need you, I can't live without you. You make me feel like a king." But that � I hate to break it to you, guys � is not how women really are, or even are supposed to be. In fact, being pressured to play that ego-supporting role turns them into liars and airheads, full of inner conflict. And when those male needs extend to no-limit sexual demands, they turn women into prostitutes. ******* Women, if they're still fairly innocent and uncorrupted, also have a notion of how men are, or at least how they are supposed to be, that's actually about right: Men are supposed to be knights in shining armor. Problem is, men somehow have lost sight of this higher calling. And, of course, when she sees her intended knight fail her in so many ways � and he truly cannot help it, at least in the beginning � she develops contempt and resentment toward him, which profoundly shapes both of their lives for the worse. Corrupted women � who one way or another have been betrayed or seduced from their original innocence � unconsciously look either for a dominator, someone to control them, or a wimp, someone they can control. ******* So, if you're looking for "blame," there's plenty to go around, probably in equal proportions for both women and men. But blame is not the point; most of us, especially today, are just plain asleep to what marriage is really all about � the development of Godly character. ******* Think back. Can you remember a time in your life when you used to think men should grow up to be knights in shining armor? ******* I have a 12-year-old son named Joshua. What does he like to watch on TV? Robin Hood, Zorro, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger � knights in shining armor all. (Joshua's homeschooled.) ******* Movies? "Ben Hur," "Cromwell," "The Ten Commandments" "High Noon," "El Cid," "The Scarlet Pimpernel," and even the Jedi knights of "Star Wars" � these are all stories of brave knights. ******* And by knights, I don't mean just fighters, but fighters for what's right, possessing great character and nobility � confident, unselfish, mature, wise � faithful in word and deed to the last detail of life. ******* That's my son's programming, his ideal. That's your son's programming, too. I'm not saying my son acts that way; I'm saying he is powerfully attracted to that way. And I didn't put this attraction in him, nor did it come from television. It came from God. ******* It's normal. Those classic shows he watches just nourish the inborn ideal that has fascinated generation upon generation of little boys. ******* The problem is, my son also has another side to him. Christianity calls it "original sin," an inborn nature that tends toward pride, selfishness, laziness, denial, self-gratification and anger. So, how does he � and how do all little boys � grow from the immature mix of latent nobility and compulsive selfishness into a true man? For most men, the answer is: marriage. ******* Marriage comes complete with all the trials, tribulations, obstacle courses, tests, rewards and consequences necessary to complete your Jedi training � or to kill you. ******* LOVE AND LUST ******* Who remembers when little girls dreamed of falling in love with and marrying a knight in shining armor? ******* "Oh get real," you may be thinking, "there's no one like that � except in the movies." ******* Let's adjust the zoom of our lens and take a closer look at marriage. Not the storybook, Hollywood fantasy version � but the real thing. Marriage is full of difficulty. And not just because any two people living and working together are going to have their differences and conflicts that need to be resolved. Uh-uh. Difficulty because, when you put a man and a woman together, that relationship can lead either to tremendous spiritual growth and fulfillment of their inborn potential, or it can lead to such conflict and hatred between them that they would rather die than be compelled to spend the rest of their lives with each other. ******* Truly, when they get married, most newlyweds have no idea what they're getting into. ******* At first, they think their infatuation is love; it's not. They think their physical and emotional need for each other is love; it's not. He thinks her enthusiasm to have sex is love: it's not. She thinks his giving in to her on every issue is love; it's not. ******* Fast-forward a few years. Most often children have come along � which logically should help cement the father and mother's relationship. Instead, in half of American marriages, what started as wedded bliss has turned inexorably into the nightmare of hatred and divorce. And of course, for every marriage that actually falls into the abyss, others are teetering on the brink. ******* So what happens in those few years? What turns heaven into hell? Can't men and women, dads and moms get along any more? What is so bad, so intolerable, that they have to detonate the relationship, break their solemn vow to God, to man, and to each other, and devastate their children? ******* If you can answer that question, albeit in the negative, you also will have answered the corollary positive question of what sort of personal, spiritual growth we are really meant to experience in marriage. ******* To put it perhaps too plainly, there is something about a woman's makeup that is capable of drawing all of the worst out of men. And there is something in a man's makeup that is capable of drawing all of the worst out of women. This is a spiritual inheritance we all share, having roots deep and profound. ******* Thus, without also a shared love of truth, to lead them both into the nobler realm of life, theirs will never be a "marriage made in heaven." And that, again, is the ultimate purpose of marriage � to lead us to a closer relationship with our Creator by developing within us the character traits fitting for God's children. ******* For those sincere enough to embrace this challenge, marriage is the arena of life. The willingness to face one's own weaknesses and failings honestly, to suffer gracefully without becoming angry and resentful, to bear with patience the slings and arrows coming from the crazy side of your spouse � that's love, real love. And out of that slow growth of virtue comes, invisibly (no one else can see where your happiness comes from), the good life you've always wanted. Then come the green pastures, the still waters of marriage, the ever-deepening affection and concern for the other, the comfort of true companionship, the deep reservoir of strength sufficient to deal with any and all adversity � all of the transcendent joys of a long and fruitful life together. ******* DREAM OR REALITY? ******* But why does this ideal seem so foreign, so unreal? ******* Why do moral confusion, "me-me-me" instant gratification, cynicism and doubt about anything truly noble seem "real," while selflessness, true moral strength, real masculinity and real femininity seem to be unreal and old-fashioned? ******* Doesn't this "old-fashioned ideal" of noble knights and noble ladies have the aroma of a vivid dream you once had, when you were young � as though maybe things actually were like this once upon a time, long, long ago? Then again, maybe it's not a chronological gulf between then and now. Perhaps instead it's another dimension called heaven on earth we vaguely "remember," the ever-present inner standard we've lost sight of, the higher calling that's gotten drowned out in the din of life. ******* Maybe what many of us think of as reality � you know, the pop boy-girl thing that ends in disgust, disillusion and divorce � is just a "matrix," like in the hit films of that name. And maybe, as in the movies, we need to pull the plug on the comforting but anesthetizing "matrix" and face reality � even if it's unpleasant to begin with. ******* UNTIL DEATH DO US PART ******* Marriage is indeed a divine institution � something created by and provided for by God. Not only for the propagation of the species, but so that men and women could discover what real love is � not just the love that brings children into the world, but the love that enables us to experience betrayal and yet not hate, the love that learns to forgive, that learns to be strong and to stand up for what's right, that learns to delay gratification � in other words, the love that makes us fully human. ******* Therefore, without the matrimonial promise made before God and man to stay together forever � without a lifelong commitment inoculating them against hard times � the trials, difficulties and pain of marriage and raising a family would be too much for many people to handle. ******* So now, considering this man and woman coming to a committed marriage with different backgrounds, baggage and problems, and with their imperfect, incomplete natures crying out for all the wrong kind of love from each other: What enables them ultimately to triumph � to have a truly happy long-term marriage and family? One thing only. Both of their lives must revolve around a love of truth. If they have that, they both have the same spiritual father, they're members of the same spiritual family. ******* They have a shared standard by which to resolve differences. All disagreements ultimately find resolution � not because one knuckles under to the other, the submissive to the dominant, but because they both have placed God's will at the center of their lives, the center of their family. The wife is not threatened by her husband's being the ultimate and natural authority in the family, because she trusts him and his judgment. Nor, however, is the husband threatened by submitting to his wife when he sees she is clearly right. ******* I'm talking about a shared, deep understanding of life, obtained by honestly confronting our imperfections, standing up to our own lower nature (instead of running away into denial and distraction), facing up to each painful reality as it presents itself in marriage and in life. This is reality � full-bore and in Technicolor. This is not a matter of rigid dogma, but rather the moment-to-moment presence of the Living God shining into your life and your relationships. Any less than that, folks, and we're failing. This is why God ordained marriage � so we could find Him. ******* And this is why homosexual marriage can never work. For instead of finding God, all its participants will find is comfort, reassurance and validation for what, in reality, is a miserable, frightening, unnatural and debilitating lifestyle. And the corruption of the children selfishly thrown into such same-sex "unions" is unspeakable, but that's another story. God forbid that we enshrine "gay" marriage. ******* In truth, the movement to redefine marriage is not primarily about homosexuals wanting to marry. It is about homosexuals, radical feminists and others who are engaged in an internal war with reality and nature. And their inner war against eternal standards requires that they also wage an outer war on the one institution � marriage � that preserves, protects and defends men and women, fosters their spiritual growth, and allows for a new generation of beautiful children to populate the earth. ******* As long as they are living apart from God's laws, people will always feel threatened by, and try to extinguish, everything that reminds them of their sins. And there is no more spiritual, wholesome and ennobling � and therefore threatening � institution on the face of the earth than marriage. ******* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR'S NOTE: This article is just one of many on marriage in the September issue of Whistleblower magazine ("THE END OF MARRIAGE?"), which WND publishes monthly. Since Whistleblower is both the main source of support for WorldNetDaily.com, and a singularly valuable news and information source, I'm asking you to please consider becoming a subscriber. In so doing, you help us and you help yourself. You may find out more about or subscribe to Whistleblower at WND's online store, ShopNetDaily. ******* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Kupelian is vice president and managing editor of WorldNetDaily.com and Whistleblower magazine. ******* http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34587 ******************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 2 MAN/WOMAN MARRIAGE DEFINDED IN TEXAS TEXTBOOK: CONTROVERSIAL ******* Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2004 ******* From: "Mission America" ******* This is a "controversy"? It's amazing that it's even news. ******* The Washington Times, Sat., Nov. 6, 2004, Page A1 ******* TEXAS SCHOOL PANEL FORCES CHANGES TO BOOKS ON HEALTH ******* http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041105-114313-7881r.htm ******* By Natalie Gott, ASSOCIATED PRESS, Published November 6, 2004 ******* AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Board of Education approved new health textbooks for the state's high school and middle school students yesterday after the publishers agreed to change the wording to depict marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The decision involves two of the biggest textbook publishers and represents another example of Texas exerting its market clout as the nation's second-largest buyer of textbooks. Officials say the decision could affect hundreds of thousands of books in Texas alone. On Thursday, a board member charged that proposed new books ran counter to a Texas law banning the recognition of homosexual civil unions because the texts used terms like "married partners" instead of "husband and wife." After hearing the debate, one publisher, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, agreed to include a definition of marriage as a "lifelong union between a husband and a wife." The definition, which was added to middle school textbooks, already was in Holt's high school editions, Holt spokesman Rick Blake said. The other publisher, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, changed phrases such as "when two people marry" and "partners" to "when a man and a woman marry" and "husbands and wives." ******* "The board expressed an interest in having us make the change," Mr. Blake said. "We thought it was a reasonable thing to do." But Mr. Blake said the publisher does not plan on adding its definition of marriage in books that will be sold outside Texas. A spokeswoman for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill did not immediately respond to questions. ******* A list of the books that were approved by the board, as well as those that were not, is sent to school districts for guidance when they choose books. Board member Mary Helen Berlanga, a Democrat, asked the panel to approve the books without the changes, but her proposal was rejected by a 10-4 vote of the board consisting of 10 Republicans and five Democrats. "We're not supposed to make changes at somebody's whim," Miss Berlanga said. "It's a political agenda, and we're not here to follow a political agenda." Board member Terri Leo, a Republican, said she was pleased with the publishers' changes. She had led the effort to get the publishers to change the texts, objecting to what she called "asexual stealth phrases" such as "individuals who marry." "Marriage has been defined in Texas, so it should also be defined in our health textbooks that we use as marriage between a man and a woman," Miss Leo said. Texas lawmakers last year passed a law that prohibits the state from recognizing same-sex civil unions. The state already had a ban on homosexual "marriage." ******* Neither publisher added all the changes Miss Leo initially proposed. For instance, one passage in the teacher's editions read: "Opinions vary on why homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are more prone to self-destructive behaviors like depression, illegal drug use, and suicide." ******* Randall Ellis, the executive director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, said the board overstepped its bounds in suggesting and adopting the new wording. "Their job is to review for factual information and instead what we see is the insertion of someone's ideology and agenda into the textbook of middle schoolers," Mr. Ellis said. ******* The board's approval caps months of debate over health textbooks. Much of the debate had centered on how much sex education should be included in high school books. A controversy arose last year in Texas when the board approved new biology textbooks that contained Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, brushing aside opposition from religious groups. ******* Copyright � 2004 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. ******* Mail service for Mission America provided by American Family Online www.afo.net ******* Mission America www.missionamerica.com ******************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 3 SUMMARY OF PRO MARRIAGE INITIATIVE ******* Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 ******* From: the Ohio Campaign to Protect Marriage, www.ohiomarriage.com via "Mission America" ******* MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! ******* In the end, pro-family values won the day. ******* Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has posted the election day results of Issue 1 and with 100% of precincts reporting states: ******* YES votes = 3,202,272 (61.64%) ******* NO votes = 1,992,561 (38.36%) ******* The Ohio Campaign to Protect Marriage from the beginning has been a coalition of groups, activists, and volunteers who were concerned about the family and the attempts in our culture to redefine it by undermining the institution of marriage. ******* Success was accomplished by each of us doing our own small part, using our gifts and talents as a vital part of the whole body to accomplish this huge task. ******* A heart-felt thanks to all who circulated petitions, stood on street corners collecting signatures, manned a booth at a fair or church, donated money, defended us in court, prayed us through the court victories, defended marriage in the pulpit, counseled with us, advised us, strategized with us, passed out bulletins and flyers, delivered yard signs, worked polls, sent e-mails, wrote letters, made phone calls, answered phone calls, debated our opponents, spoke to groups and forums. You name it! And we all had a part, whatever we did. ******* Most of all, we thank God for the help through the process and for the victory! ******* Click on the link below to view Issue 1 election results by county: ******* http://election.sos.state.oh.us/results/CountyBreakdown.aspx?issuenum=1 ******* The following language, having been approved by a majority of voters in Ohio, is expected to take effect 30 days after the election: ******* Be it Resolved by the People of the State of Ohio: ******* That the Constitution of the State of Ohio be amended by adopting a section to be designated as Section 11 of Article XV thereof, to read as follows: ******* Article XV ******* Section 11. Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage. ******* How many times have you heard it? "Same-sex marriage is inevitable." Well, the fact is, when you give the people a chance to vote on it, they have said NO every time. Such was the case in 11 out of 11 states on November 2. ******* The following links provides insightful news accounts of the election. ******* Text of each marriage amendment and margins of victory (includes all states) http://www.alliancealert.org/aa2004/2004_11_03.htm ******* Arkansas - 75-25% ******* Georgia - 77-23% ******* Kentucky - 75-25% ******* Michigan - 59-41% ******* Mississippi - 86-14% ******* Montana - 66-34% ******* North Dakota - 73-27% ******* Ohio - 62-38% ******* Oklahoma - 76-24% ******* Oregon - 57-43% ******* Utah - 66-34% ******************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 4 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA'S (PCA)'S STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE AND HOMOSEXUALITY ******* Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 ******* From: "Mission America" ******* The 32nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, meeting in Pittsburgh, Penn., adopted a statement on Marriage and Sexuality at its meeting on Thursday, June 17, 2004. This statement was approved in response to an overture from Missouri Presbytery asking the General Assembly to address the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment. ******* Therefore be it resolved that the 32nd General Assembly: ******* a) Humbly call on the civil governments of Canada and the United States and all nations of the earth to act within their lawful powers and use whatever legislative and judicial instruments they deem most useful to ensure that marriage is legally defined and interpreted throughout their jurisdictions as existing exclusively between one man and woman. In support of this call the Presbyterian Church in America declares to the Church, the Nation, and the World that: ******* God is truth. ******* God's truth is firmly rooted and grounded in His immutable Nature and Being; it is not a construction of men; it is not variable, nor relative, nor dependent upon social or cultural context. ******* God has made His truth known to human beings most necessarily in the Holy Scriptures. ******* Among the truths that God has declared to human beings is the truth that the institution of marriage has been created by Him, from the time of the creation of human beings, and that it is ordained and defined by Him to be the lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 1-3; Matthew 19:5-6). ******* God�s ordinance concerning marriage is binding upon all human beings in all places and at all times; it cannot be altered by legislative, judicial or cultural action. It is possible to deviate from God�s ordinance, but it is not possible to change it. ******* God has ordained civil authorities �under Him, and over the people, for His own glory and the public good� (Westminster Confession of Faith 33-1), to the end that good (as defined by Him) may be encouraged and defended and evil (as defined by Him) may be suppressed and punished. ******* "God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). God will hold those whom He has placed in authority accountable for their actions, and He has declared: ******* Woe to those who call evil good ******* And good evil, ******* Who put darkness for light ******* And light for darkness, ******* Who put bitter for sweet ******* And sweet for bitter! ******* Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, ******* And shrewd in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20) ******* b) Call upon the Presbyteries and Sessions of the PCA to strengthen the marriages in its own churches and exhort its elders to be bolder and more caring shepherds of Christ�s flock that we might help stem the scandalous rising tide of divorce in the church. ******* c) Call upon the Presbyteries and Sessions of the PCA to encourage all men and women, boys and girls within the PCA to live chastely for the sake of the Savior who bought them, whether in marriage or in singleness, whether they must do battle against heterosexual or homosexual temptation in seeking to be faithful to their Lord who loves them. ******* d) Call upon its members to be "the salt and light of the earth� in this context by exercising their full responsibilities as citizens including: ******* (1) Communicating the biblical faith of the PCA on this matter; ******* (2) Protecting and defending the biblical teaching on marriage, according to their own best judgment as citizens, in all spheres of public and private discourse. ******* (e) And that these �calls� be communicated by the [PCA] Stated Clerk to all who have inquired and may inquire concerning these matters. ******* The overture from Missouri Presbytery to the PCA General Assembly stated the following that led to the statement above: ******* Whereas the Church of Jesus Christ is sent into the world as salt, light, and witness to the full counsel of God; and ******* Whereas the Church�specifically, any branch thereof, including the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)�is called upon at particular, extraordinary times to speak prophetically and serve compassionately with regard to particular public issues; and ******* Whereas the PCA has set precedent for boldly stating the demands of biblical justice for the civil commonwealth, while at the same time refraining from endorsement of particular legislative strategies, for example in its 1978 statement against legalize abortion; and ******* Whereas we the PCA, at this particular time and in the particular socio-political settings of North America into which God has sent us, are encountering much confusion over sexual matters in both private conversation and in the current public debate about so-called �gay marriage�; and ******* Whereas we should seize the opportunity to speak into this void, saddened that there has been so much erosion of the once-strong moral consensus that marriage is the divinely instituted, complementary human relationship of one man and one woman legally joined in a life-long, potentially procreative, monogamous commitment and that such family units are foundational for a healthy society; and ******* Whereas while the fundamental civil rights for all citizens also is foundational for a healthy society, the battle for �gay rights� is more and more being wrongly championed as the logical sequel to the fights of racial minorities and the fight for the rights of women, in spite of the fact that a person�s homosexuality is a characteristic fundamentally different than one�s ethnicity or gender; and ******* Whereas the real nature of homosexuality is obscured by the current preoccupation with the question of legal rights such that: ******* a) the longstanding assessment, even among those who do not accept biblical revelation, of homosexuality as disordered, unnatural desire hardly comes into the discussion at all; and ******* b) the stark biological reality that homosexual relationships by nature are sterile and incapable of passing on the gift of life from generation to generation is virtually forgotten; and ******* c) the stunning scarcity of sexual monogamy within the homosexual community (candidly acknowledged even by proponents of homosexual love) has not been given due consideration in the public debate about the meaning of marriage; and ******* Whereas homosexuality, being unnatural desire, is not something to be celebrated but something from which Christ wants to redeem people by the great healing and restoring power of his grace (Romans 1:24-27; I Corinthians 6:9); and ******* Whereas it is not the promotion of human freedom but a form of cruelty, in the final analysis, for a society to encourage its citizens in the pursuit of desire which is, in essence, an affliction, and behavior which is offensive to God; and ******* Whereas certain civil magistrates have petitioned our church, wanting to know its mind on how marriage should be legally defined in the civil commonwealth of the United States; and ******* Whereas it is right and proper that the church should respond to such queried by bearing witness to the biblical truth that civil laws and courts should promote and protect marriage as a unique, male-female, monogamous community of two because of the way it propagates the human race and benefits the public in so many other ways. ******* Dominic Aquila, Editor of Byfaithonline Newsletter ******* [email protected] ******* www.byfaithonline.com ******* NOTE: Links to Internet sites are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement of the content of those sites by the PCA or byfaithonline.com. -------------------------------------- Mail service for Mission America provided by American Family Online www.afo.net ******* Mission America www.missionamerica.com ******************************************************************************************************************** ******* item 5 END OF MARRIAGE ******* From: "Population Research Institute" via "pan loch" ******* Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 ******* Dear Colleague: ******* Few readers of this e-mail will need to be convinced that marriage�a sacramental, lifetime bond between one man and one woman�is under assault. ******* I write to urge you to action: Call the two senators who represent your state today, and urge them to vote tomorrow for the Federal Marriage Amendment. ******* We must amend the U.S. Constitution, and put the bedrock institution of marriage forever beyond the reach of activist judges. Otherwise these black-robed tyrants will force us not only to recognize, but to subsidize, homosexual liaisons. And our children will be vulnerable. ******* Steven W. Mosher, President, Population Research Institute ******* PRI Weekly Briefing, 13 July 2004, Vol. 6 / No. 25 ******* I was once an anthropologist, that strange and dying subdiscipline of sociology that studies the social arrangements of various primitive tribes. There is a vast array of social arrangements and cultural exotica to be found among these often-marginal groups, and the hundreds of ethnographies that have been written often make for fascinating reading. ******* At the same time, there are some striking underlying commonalities across cultures and across time. One of these is marriage, as an exclusively heterosexual institution. While there are many different family types, from nuclear families to extended families including several generations and several degrees of kinship, these are all built around the one relationship that can provide for the continuation of the family, the fruitful bond of man and woman. ******* If any human group ever adopted homosexuality as the chief principal around which to organize society, it died out. No such society can long exist, except in the imagination of homosexual activists, since it would fail to provide for the future in the most fundamental way: by reproducing itself. ******* Homosexual subcultures are therefore necessarily predatory, perpetuating themselves by poaching off the larger heterosexual society. The demand by homosexual activists that their liaisons be not only recognized, but also validated, by the state must be viewed in part as a recruiting ploy. If marriage between homosexuals is allowed, then this will expose children of normal sexual inclinations to a wide variety of homosexual ideas and advances. ******* The decay of the family already means that half the children born in the 1990s will spend at least part of their childhood in single-parent homes.1 Such children, lacking in many cases a male role model, are quite vulnerable to advances by older homosexuals. ******* If �same sex marriage� is legalized nationwide, public school readers will soon be filled with stories like �Heather has two mommies.� It will be taught in social science courses that the traditional definition of marriage as a bond a man and a women is outdated, obsolete and intolerant. Man/man and woman/woman liaisons will be hailed as the model for the future, equal to or better than traditional marriage. Teenagers confused about their sexuality�and there are many�will be particularly vulnerable. ******* A world of shattered families peopled with millions of isolated and miseducated teenagers would be a paradise for homosexual predators. But it would be Hell to live in. ******* The majority of the American people would never approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box, but we are perilously close to having it imposed on us by the courts. ******* As President Bush, who strongly supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, has written, �When judges insist on imposing their arbitrary will on the people, the only alternative left to the people is an amendment to the Constitution�the only law a court cannot overturn. A constitutional amendment should never be undertaken lightly�yet to defend marriage, our nation has no other choice. ******* A great deal is at stake in this matter. The union of a man and woman in marriage is the most enduring and important human institution, and the law can teach respect or disrespect for that institution. If our laws teach that marriage is the sacred commitment of a man and a woman, the basis of an orderly society, and the defining promise of a life, that strengthens the institution of marriage. If courts create their own arbitrary definition of marriage as a mere legal contract, and cut marriage off from its cultural, religious and natural roots, then the meaning of marriage is lost, and the institution is weakened. The Massachusetts court, for example, has called marriage "an evolving paradigm." That sends a message to the next generation that marriage has no enduring meaning, and that ages of moral teaching and human experience have nothing to teach us about this institution. ******* For ages, in every culture, human beings have understood that traditional marriage is critical to the well being of families. And because families pass along values and shape character, traditional marriage is also critical to the health of society. Our policies should aim to strengthen families, not undermine them. Changing the definition of traditional marriage will undermine the family structure.� 2 ******* That, of course, is precisely what homosexual activists have in mind. ******* Please call the two senators who represent your state today, and urge them to vote tomorrow for the Federal Marriage Amendment. Here's the number: 1 (202) 224-3121. 1 Robert Rector, Melissa G. Pardue, Lauren R. Noyes, �Marriage Plus: Sabotaging the President�s Efforts to Promote Healthy Marriages,� The Heritage Foundation, Backgrounder No. 1677, 22 August 2003. ******* 2 President�s Radio Address on Marriage, 10 July 2004. ******* � 2004 Population Research Institute. Permission to reprint granted. Redistribute widely. Credit required. _________ If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to PRI, please go to https://pop.org/donate.cfm. All donations (of any size) are welcomed and appreciated. _________ To subscribe to the Weekly Briefing, send an email to: [email protected] or email [email protected] and say "Add me to your Weekly Briefing." __________ The Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation." ******* PRI, P.O. Box 1559, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA ******* Phone: (540) 622-5240 Fax: (540) 622-2728 ******* Email: [email protected] ******* Media Contact: Vince Criste (540) 622-5240, ext. 206 ******************************************************************************************************************** [email protected] Pro Marriage Network

Links to other sites on the Web

(A3c2c1) Defend Marriage, Canada
(A3c2c2) No Gay Marriage (American)
(A3c2c3) Real Women of Canada (political pro marriage organization)
(A3c2c4) Real Women of British Columbia (Canada) (political pro marriage organization)
(A3c2c5) (American) Citizens for (Christian) Community Values
(A3c2c6) (A) home page

The following warning is a prophetic message given to me, Frank Wagner, in November of 1974. ******* LISTEN TO THE CRY OF THE ABORTED CHILDREN. THEIR CRY IS NO. THEIR CRY IS A CRY OF TERROR. HEED THEIR CRY. ******* This prophecy is now being fulfilled. ******* For details about the source, meaning and fulfillment of this prophetic message go to ******* http://ca.geocities.com/fwagner4/index.html ******* email me at *** [email protected] ***