Marriage Amendment crosses church/state line
The NC Constitution is being rewritten from the pulpit:
“Marriage was ordained by God, not by government. God set it in motion,” said the Rev. Ron Baity, president of Return America, a Winston-Salem-based conservative Christian organization that has led rallies in Raleigh on behalf of the amendment. “We’re trying to uphold the biblical standard of marriage.”
Is that the New or the Old Testament? I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and put to death the adulterer and adulteress, or let God sort that out later. And yes, that was sarcasm. For those who follow the Legislature, this is not the first time the good Reverend has tried to strong-arm our elected officials:
The legal representative of Pastor Ron Baity sent a letter this past week to North Carolina House of Representative Speaker Joe Hackney and the House clerk asking that his client receive an apology letter and another invitation to offer an uncensored invocation at the House.
In the July 7 letter, Gibbs threatened to advise Baity to seek other legal options if the House does not honor their requests within ten days.
“We trust that the North Carolina House of Representatives will realize its mistake and will offer Pastor Baity another opportunity to pray without requiring him to use a prayer that is mandated by the government,” he added.
Isn't that special? You have ten days to comply with my demands, or I will sue your (expletive deleted).
You know, it's one thing to lean on the Legislature, in an effort to get what you want. We do it here quite often, but it's usually in the form of an appeal to the intellect or moral conscience of elected officials.
It takes a special kind of hubris to issue a time-constrained ultimatum to part-time Legislators, many of whom travel a great distance to discharge their responsibilities at the General Assembly. But that's what you get when you lower the barrier between church and state.
Hat-tip to Mark Binker for his coverage of this mess.
BlueNC is dedicated to freedom and fairness for the people of North Carolina. If you share that vision, welcome. If your intention is to disrupt our efforts, please find somewhere else to express your opinions.
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marriage origins
Somebody get that man a history book and a helper to read it to him. I seem to recall that marriages have been going on much longer than Christianity. Also, are Vegas stripper quickie marriages ok by him? How about Liz Taylor's eight marriages? What about the marriage of the Republican toilet-toe-tapper? Why doesn't he just content himself with worrying about the fact that marriages here in the Bible Belt break up more frequently than those elsewhere? The divorce stats were on the web this week, and were quite memorable. I bet the good Rev. could find some sin, ugliness or uncharitable mess near his home to deal with. If someone comes along wanting to get gay-married in his church, he could say no-sirree-buddy-o, problem solved. If a gay couple moves in next door to him, what will he do? They have a legal right to own property, they're citizens and taxpayers, and his opinion is just that: his opinion, not law.
Pangloss was wrong.
NC Taliban continues push to turn Raleigh into Tehran
Is Osama bin Baity still being quoted by mainstream news outlets about that Does-Nothing-About-Divorce Amendment?
If you want to protect marriage, do something about straight divorce.
Reminder: Massachusetts has the lowest divorce in the nation; they've also recognized gay marriage for the longest in the nation.
This is everyone's battle
Whatever other motivations behind this, whether crossing between church/state, whether bigotry or ignorance, one of the primary motivators is politics & skewing the 2012 election.
Putting this on the ballot ensures that the turnout in the election is shifted in favor of those who oppose environmental protections, who oppose funding education properly, who oppose campaign finance reform, who oppose keeping church & state separate, who oppose keeping corporations & personhood separate, who oppose women's rights, who oppose keeping election access open & fair, who oppose LGBT equality, and who oppose everything else progressives stand for. If this is on the ballot, we all lose. This is everyone's battle.
Even if this gets on the ballot, and through a miracle it doesn't pass, it will be too late, because it will already dramatically have skewed the turnout. The battle isn't whether or not this passes or doesn't pass on election day 2012, the battle is whether or not this goes on the ballot. And that battle is now. And this is where:
http://equalitync.org/news1/equality-nc-joins-other-statewide-organizati...
Bingo
Two weeks ago I had the privilege to meet Rep. Marcus Brandon and he explained how if the R's get the amendment on the ballot, we are doomed to become South Carolina...a progressive wasteland. The Republican base hears a dog whistle and they all come to the polls sweeping R's into office up and down the ticket at the same time.
Dirty trick, yes, but it is Democrats down east we have to appeal to right now.
Progressives are the true conservatives.
Good point, Jake
I don't doubt stacking the voter turnout in November is on the minds of many of the Republicans in the General Assembly (not to mention Art Pope).
But...wouldn't having the Amendment on the Primary ballot instead make it more likely to pass? Smaller turnouts are known to be a boon for radical referenda.
Either way, it does need to be stopped before it gets that far.
probably
but i don't think this is just about passing this amendment, i think this is about skewing the vote, i believe this will be set to happen at the same time ppl are picking between President Obama & President Bachmann (or whoever else makes it through)
Too clever by half: When amendment strategy backfires
The Wisconsin GOP lost control of the Wisconsin Senate in 2006 when they thought this amendment ploy would turnout their base.
Some prominent Republicans think it actually turned out people angry about the amendment in certain districts -- especially those around college towns -- and flipped the Wisconsin Senate to Democratic control in 2006.
Long link to the article here:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/29188669.html
There are a lot more
registered Democrats in NC than Republicans. Food for thought.