Week Ending July 11, 2003
Religious Freedom Coalition
July 11, 2003 8:33PM EST

CONGRESS IN SESSION

THE HOUSE

FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

Don't hold your breath waiting for the Federal Marriage Amendment to pass. The Constitutional Amendment isn't going to come to a vote any time soon.

In light of the Supreme Court's legalization of sodomy and the possibility that the state of Vermont may soon legalize homosexual marriage, Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) introduced the Federal Marriage Amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. All Constitutional amendments must originate in the House, be passed by two-thirds and sent to the Senate for approval. After Senate approval, two-thirds of the States must ratify the amendment.

So far the Federal Marriage Amendment does not even have thirty-five co-sponosrs (yes - less than 35). The problem is not liberals battling the Amendment but rather internal problems in the conservative camp.

The old line conservatives who are at the core of the Republican Party are against "federalism." They oppose any law which tells the States what they can and cannot do. Thus they are against any language in the Federal Marriage Amendment which tells the states they cannot issue a marriage license to anyone they want.

The social conservatives on the other hand are demanding wording that contains "... The United States and the States." In other words social conservatives want the Amendment to state neither the United States nor the States can issue a marriage license to other than one man and one woman.

Let's think about this for a minute .... Let's say we spend thousands upon thousands of hours and millions of dollars to pass a Constitutional Amendment that states that marriage is between one man and one woman at the federal level, but that a state can do what it wants to. The federal government does not issue any marriage licenses that I know of; licenses are issued only by the States. All this time and money would be spent to change the basic law of the land with no effect whatsoever on whether a marriage license could be issued to same sex partners in California or to multiple marriage partners in Utah.

Meanwhile there is a huge political consideration. The nutty left-wing National Education Association (NEA) has done a good job indoctrinating the nation's youth in the public schools. As of now, 49% of those of voting age believe that that "gay marriage" of some kind should be legalized. (See Gallup poll) Overall, six out of ten Americans agreed with the Supreme Court in legalizing sodomy. This should not be a surprise considering that 54% of born-again Christian adults and 83% of born-again Christian teenagers believe that moral truth "depends on the situation." (See Barna.org)

Considering the sharp divide over the issue of federalism within the conservative community and the support for legalizing sodomy even among Christians, I personally see no chance that the Federal Marriage Amendment will pass the House this or any other year.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH FROM THE PULPIT

A new Internet site has been constructed for those who want to keep up with the Houses of Worship Freedom of Speech Restoration Act (HR-235). The Internet site is located at www.hr235.org . In the June 27 update I stated that there were 185 co-sponsors. That was an error. There are currently 165 co-sponsors and we are still working to get 218 before calling for a vote. Publicity on this bill is very important. Pastors and others must understand that their rights to political free speech were stolen from them in 1956 and that this bill will return those rights. Please tell you pastor to look at the new Internet site for this bill.

VOUCHERS

Last week I mentioned Peggy Birchfield and I attended an event with President Bush at the Kipp Academy in Washington, DC during which he urged the House to pass a voucher program to help inner-city kids escape the failed public schools of Washington, DC. Yesterday a powerful House committee approved the voucher program and sent the President's request. A vote will be held on the floor later this year.

OTHER HOUSE ACTION

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act is being held back in the House to await Senate action. Before the August recess at least eleven of the thirteen funding bills to operate the government for the next fiscal year should be passed by the House.

THE SENATE

PARTIAL BIRTH BAN DELAY

The Partial Birth Abortion Ban is stuck in the Senate even though it has already passed both the House and Senate by a wide margin of votes. How can this be? Because there are slight differences in the wording of the two versions, the final language must be decided in a conference committee. The Democrats in the Senate are refusing to agree on the naming of the conference committee members for the PBA. To force a vote requires sixty (yes, 60) votes which the Republicans don't have. Thus Senator Daschle has stopped the bill with the same arcane Senate rule that allows him to block numerous judges appointed by President George W. Bush.

Amazingly Ken Connor of the Family Research Council in his July 10th Washington Update gave this as a reason not to vote Republican. He asks the rhetorical question "Why bother electing Republicans" and then sites this and other instances of Republicans being unable to get legislation passed or judges approved in the Senate. I find Mr. Connor's remarks odd. The reality is that if social-conservatives would have helped elect nine more Republican Senators we would not have this problem at all. The difficulty in the Senate is not because of Republicans; the problem is that we have too many Democrats. Sadly Ken Connor's opinion runs deep in social-conservative circles and as a result Republicans may lose control of the Senate and the Presidency in 2004. If Ken Connor thinks the Senate is a problem now, what will he think when Democrats outnumber Republicans 55 to 45 after the 2004 election?

THE PRESIDENCY

The President's deep abiding faith has led him to Africa where AIDS has in some nations infected up to 50% of the adult population. The number of farmers who have died of AIDS has caused a famine as farms lie fallow. Leadership vacuums have caused widespread violence. In Botswana the President said, "The first thing I wanted the leadership in Africa to know is the American people care deeply about the pandemic that sweeps across this continent, the pandemic of HIV/AIDS; that we're not only a powerful nation, we're also a compassionate nation." (See details)

The AIDS issue in Africa has become a security issue. Government are collapsing and there is constant warfare. Warlords and drug dealers are taking over entire regions of this great continent making it ripe for some nations ripe for take over by Islamic and other dangerous extremists.

INTERNATIONAL

The Religious Freedom Coalition mission team is entering its second week of operating a summer Vacation Bible School in Beit Jala near Bethlehem. I ask your continued prayers for the success of the mission and the safety of the volunteers.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION

In the past, hundreds of RFC supporters have purchased our "Under God" silk tie from our Internet store. Recently we have increased the selection of ties at the store to include more patriotic and Christian ties. All the ties are 100% silk and very attractive. To look at the complete tie selection please click here. The prices have been reduced slightly, but shipping is still included.

Our new video documentary, Holy Land Settlements, about the Jewish settlements in Samaria and Judea, which was mentioned in several previous updates is now in stock. Click here for more information. Check our Internet site at www.rfcnet.org for last minute updates! Please feel free to forward this weekly update to friends. We are now at 60,000 subscribers .... Get the word out and help us hit the 100,000 mark by the end of the year! See below for subscribe/unsubscribe instructions. God richly bless you, that is my prayer.

William J. Murray, Chairman - Religious Freedom Coalition

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