| PROTECT MARRIAGE SUNDAY TEXT- Genesis 2:21-24, “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” This how it all started. God created a man. Out of the man, God made a woman. God brought the woman to the man. February 24, 2004. President George W. Bush: “Good morning. Eight years ago, Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage for purposes of federal law as the legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. The Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 342 to 67, and the Senate by a vote of 85 to 14. Those congressional votes and the passage of similar defensive marriage laws in 38 states express an overwhelming consensus in our country for protecting the institution of marriage. In recent months, however, some activist judges and local officials have made an aggressive attempt to redefine marriage. In Massachusetts, four judges on the highest court have indicated they will order the issuance of marriage licenses to applicants of the same gender in May of this year. In San Francisco, city officials have issued thousands of marriage licenses to people of the same gender, contrary to the California family code. That code, which clearly defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, was approved overwhelmingly by the voters of California. A county in New Mexico has also issued marriage licenses to applicants of the same gender. And unless action is taken, we can expect more arbitrary court decisions, more litigation, more defiance of the law by local officials, all of which adds to uncertainty. After more than two centuries of American jurisprudence, and millennia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization. Their actions have created confusion on an issue that requires clarity. On a matter of such importance, the voice of the people must be heard. Activist courts have left the people with one recourse. If we are to prevent the meaning of marriage from being changed forever, our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in America. Decisive and democratic action is needed, because attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city could have serious consequences throughout the country. The Constitution says that full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts and records and judicial proceedings of every other state. Those who want to change the meaning of marriage will claim that this provision requires all states and cities to recognize same-sex marriages performed anywhere in America. Congress attempted to address this problem in the Defense of Marriage Act, by declaring that no state must accept another state's definition of marriage. My administration will vigorously defend this act of Congress. Yet there is no assurance that the Defense of Marriage Act will not, itself, be struck down by activist courts. In that event, every state would be forced to recognize any relationship that judges in Boston or officials in San Francisco choose to call a marriage. Furthermore, even if the Defense of Marriage Act is upheld, the law does not protect marriage within any state or city. For all these reasons, the Defense of Marriage requires a constitutional amendment. An amendment to the Constitution is never to be undertaken lightly. The amendment process has addressed many serious matters of national concern. And the preservation of marriage rises to this level of national importance. The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honoring -- honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith. Ages of experience have taught humanity that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society.” FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., has introduced one version of the Federal Marriage Amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives. Another similar Amendment has been introduced in the Senate. This proposed Musgrave Amendment simply states: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union between a man and a woman. Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups." Virginia’s Two U.S. Senators: Sen. John W. Warner Washington Phone: 202-224-2023; District Offices: Richmond 804-771-2579; Norfolk 757-441-3079; Abingdon 276-628-8158; Roanoke 540-857-2676. Sen. George Allen Washington Phone: 202-224-4024; District Offices: Richmond 804-771-2221; Roanoke 540-772-4236; Abingdon 276-676-2646; Virginia Beach 757-518-1674; Herndon 703-435-0039; Danville 804-347-2587. ALL 100 U.S. SENATORS WWW.FALWELL.COM THE DEFINITION OF THE BIBLICAL FAMILY Matthew 19:1-6 "And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. 3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” REPEAT… HOW FAMILIES BEGIN. According to the Scriptures, a family begins when a man and woman legally marry. There is no family until such a heterosexual union is created. The family is expanded when children are born to that couple. The family is expanded when those children marry and is further expanded when those married children have children of their own, etc. NO DIVERSE FAMILY FORMS There are no diverse family forms. Unmarried live-in couples do not constitute a family. Common law marriage does not meet muster. When live-ins are converted to Christ, they have two choices. They must separate or marry. God allows nothing less. Polygamy is not allowed by Scripture. Communal marriages are not allowed. Same sex marriages are not allowed by Scripture. Romans 1:26-27 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet." OUR 21ST CENTURY CALLING: WE MUST PROTECT GOD’S FAMILY. God has a simple plan for building spirit-filled families. Every Christian family must erect a triple life support system for the children: 1. A Bible-Centered Home. 2. A Bible-Preaching Church. 3. Bible-Based education. Martin Luther, "I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme.” Timothy Dwight, President of Yale University (1795-1817), igniter of America's Second Great Awakening, said: "Education ought every where to be religious education...parents are bound to employ no instructors who will not educate their children religiously. To commit our children to the care of irreligious persons is to commit lambs to the superintendency of wolves." THE CHURCH MUST STRENGTHEN ITS FAMILIES. Our churches must establish strong teaching ministries designed to develop parenting skills. Our pastors, teachers and church leaders must be family role models for the youth. Our churches must provide a center for the social, recreational and spiritual lives of the church families. |
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