Eighty-three groups have sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell denouncing the so-called “Respect For Marriage Act,” and imploring him to stand strongly against the Bill.
The signatories of the letter are made up of the “heads of national and state organizations leading the effort to protect life, religious liberty, free speech, and the family.”
Included in this list is Franklin Graham (President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), Tony Perkins (President of the Family Research Council), Jim Daly (President of Focus on the Family), Michael P. Farris (President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom), Kelly Shackelford (President, CEO and Chief Counsel for First Liberty Institute), and Mat Staver (Founder and Chairman of the Liberty Counsel).
The letter forewarns the minority leader of the grave and far-reaching implications of the Act and underscores the need for McConnell to not allow religious freedom to be intentionally jeopardized.
“The Act, which was suddenly rushed through the House without any public hearings or input, is an attack on millions of Americans, particularly people of faith, who believe marriage is between one man and one woman and that legitimate distinctions exist between men and women concerning family formation that should be recognized in the law,” the letter states.
“The U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell stated clearly that this view proceeds from ‘decent and honorable’ premises that ‘long have been held—and continue to be held—in good faith by reasonable and sincere people here and throughout the world,'” they described. “But H.R. 8404 aims to shut down any disagreement, silencing those with the long-held conviction that marriage between one man and one woman is essential to human flourishing, a view that has existed from the dawn of time.”
“The truth is, while H.R. 8404 does nothing to change the status of, or benefits afforded to, same-sex marriage in light of Obergefell, it does much to endanger people of faith,” the organizations warned. “Justice Alito was right when he predicted the Obergefell decision would ‘be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy.'”
“Moreover, the proposed Act goes far beyond merely codifying same-sex marriage in federal law,” they underscore. “It is a startling expansion of what marriage means—and who may be sued if they disagree—that threatens the freedom of numerous ‘decent and honorable’ Americans of different faiths, creeds, and walks of life who wish to live consistent with their deeply-held beliefs.”
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, both of whom dissented in the Obergefell decision, have been vocal in their criticism of the SCOTUS decision, which they repeatedly remarked was “unconstitutional and endangered religious liberty.”
Most recently, Justice Clarence Thomas came under fire for stating that the Court has a “duty to correct the error” suggesting that Obergefell and other similar decisions be re-visited.
Clearly, the statements made by Thomas caused the progressive left to fear that decades of working to dismantle morality, the family structure, and religious freedom could be, at least in part, reversed by the Court.
It was not long after, that the far-reaching “Respect for Marriage Act” was introduced and passed in the House of Representatives (with the support of 47 Republican Congressmembers).
The letter denouncing the Act goes on to list primary examples of the harms and ramifications that would follow if the Senate passed the deceptively named “Respect For Marriage Act.”
“H.R. 8404 would require federal recognition of any one state’s definition of marriage without any parameters whatsoever,” the letter stresses. “This would include plural marriages, time-bound marriages, open marriages, marriages involving a minor or relative, platonic marriages, or any other new marriage definition that a state chooses to adopt, including through undemocratic imposition by a state Supreme Court. Such recognition impacts a myriad of federal laws and policies regarding marriage, its benefits, and rights of parents and children.”
“H.R. 8404 effectively deputizes activist groups to sue religious individuals, organizations, and businesses that operate according to their sincerely held religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman and also act ‘under color of state law,'” they continue. “Although the issues to be litigated would be many, there is no question the proposed Act subjects religious people, businesses, and organizations to countless new lawsuits merely for practicing their faith.”
Additionally, “the Internal Revenue Service could rely on this congressional declaration requiring full recognition of same-sex marriage to strip 501(c)(3) organizations of their tax-exempt status if they continue to adhere to their belief that marriage is only between one man and one woman,” they cautioned.
“In sum, the proposed Act is far more extreme than codifying Obergefell, just as the so-called ‘Women’s Health Protection Act’ goes well beyond codifying Roe, and it is dishonest for its sponsors to claim otherwise,” the letter concludes. “Through its sweeping language and creation of new and broad enforcement mechanisms, the bill multiplies the threats against tens of millions of Americans who in ‘good faith’ proclaim a marriage view with which the Act’s sponsors disagree, while laying the foundation for increased federal action and litigation against them.”
“We call on [Mitch McConnell] to reject H.R. 8404 and to urge your colleagues to thoroughly abandon this harmful and unnecessary legislation,” they urge. “It has little to do with protecting rights; its text betrays an intent to stigmatize and take rights away—especially those belonging to people of faith.”
For Christians, the definition of marriage is vitally important. It was God who created the institution of marriage, and it was God who defined it as being between one man and one woman.
Jesus Christ reiterated this when He quoted Genesis 2:24, saying, “Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female… For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” (Matthew 19:4-5).
Laws that demand adherence to a redefinition of marriage, an institution established by God, are trampling on Religious Liberty by forcing those who hold a Biblical Worldview to defy the law by “obey[ing] God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
A groundbreaking report was recently published by the Family Research Council, showing the extent of religious persecution increasing in western countries.
“We rarely think of serious religious freedom violations as taking place in the West,” FRC described. “However, in recent years, many of the countries we typically consider ‘free and open’ have become particularly aggressive in violating freedom of religion and conscience.”
Tony Perkins, President of FRC and signatory of the letter to Mitch McConnell denouncing what he calls the [Dis]Respect For Marriage Act,” called the report a “warning call.”
“Religious freedom is the foundation for the human rights that Western democracies seek to promote abroad. Yet, the ability to promote this fundamental human right will be lost if we do not protect it within our borders,” he wrote.
The apostle Paul in his Second letter to Timothy warned that in the time prior to the return of Christ “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). In other words, all who live according to Biblical truth, standards, and morality, no matter what country they are from, will face persecution for doing so.
Perhaps The Holy Spirit’s words, written by Paul, may be most vividly understood by considering the state of religious freedom in our world when the United States, a country founded on Judeo-Christian values and once considered a beacon for freedom, is now openly targeting Christians who hold to Scripture.
The recent letter to McConnell warning against the “Respect For Marriage Act,” stresses that “We are seeing this [endangering of people of faith] play out more and more against those who decline to openly embrace extreme views regarding marriage and human sexuality” in the United States.
“This legislation will only hasten and intensify hostility against them,” they asserted. “As such, anyone who supports this measure is crossing a line into aiding and abetting the persecution of people of faith.”
