Earlier today, the New York state Senate voted 38-24 against legalizing gay marriages. Read the Christian Science Monitor’s story here. Unfortunately, this comes on the heels of the District of Columbia’s 11-2 vote on Dec. 1 for a bill that will legalize same-sex marriages in our nation’s capital. Read the Washington Times’ story here. The bill is scheduled to be voted on again on Dec. 15, and it is almost certain to pass. Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has vowed to sign the bill into law. After that, there is a 30-day congressional review, but analysts say that, given the Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, there is little chance that the law will be overturned.
Meanwhile, Meredith Baxter of “Family Ties” fame announced to the world on the “Today” show that she is a lesbian. Baxter said her coming out is a “political act” and that she hopes that her revelation will convince others not to “vote against them [homosexuals] to take away their rights.”
But contrary to what Ms. Baxter said, the vast majority of Americans do not want to take away the rights of anyone who has same-sex attractions. I’m sure that most people would agree with me when I say that homosexuals should not be discriminated against by an employer or be refused housing simply because they are homosexuals. But we don’t believe that we as a nation should be “redefining” marriage and cheapening its meaning even more than we already have. The question of what a marriage is is not a question of “rights.” Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say that people have a right to marry whoever they want. But the question of what a marriage is is about ensuring that children grow up in families with a mother and a father. Studies have consistently shown that children that grow up in a home where both their mother and father are present do much better than kids who do not. This debate also have everything to do with maintaining the sanctity of marriage and ensuring that an institution that is at the foundation of our society does not collapse.
I’m deeply concerned that there is now yet another prominent person that will be speaking out in favor of legalizing gay marriages. I will be praying, and I hope the readers of this blog will join me, for the conversion of Ms. Baxter. I also pray that more people will see the truth about homosexuality and the wisdom of not redefining a vital institution like the institution of marriage.
Leave a Reply