Marriage Matters 04.20.2012

Grey Stone of Durham

Greetings!

Marriage Amendment Education:

This is sad: In the past few weeks, the opposition to God's plan for Marriage has destroyed over $10,000 worth of billboards and stolen "FOR" yard signs in North Carolina. Even though these opponents are attempting to discourage the preservation of marriage in North Carolina, their actions are actually doing the opposite. Despite their malicious intentions, we are not going to resort to immorality (such as stealing any "against" signs, derogatory name-calling, etc) and will encourage support for the Amendment with prayer and Biblical convictions.

We have recently updated our Educational Website www.edugreystone.com with several interactive resources for those in our church family and our community network seeking more information about defending God's plan for Marriage and Family.

The new page includes links and downloads, including the Defense of Marriage notebook articles, a video forum on Marriage, and archived copies of these Marriage Matters email alerts. Click here to access the new page...

We want to encourage all to vote FOR the Constitutional Amendment to defend our Biblical values, as well as clarify the legal definition of Marriage and Families. Remember that a "NO" or "ABSTAIN" vote is a vote against the Amendment for Marriage.

We encourage you to examine the issues and the evidence for yourself. We have included several links for you to educate yourself on these important issues of our time. Check it yourself...don't even take my word for it!

Voting our values,

Education Pastor Randall Floyd
Grey Stone of Durham

Hepful Links:

*Christian Action League: www.christianactionleague.org

*Christian Life & Public Affairs: blog.ncbaptist.org/clpa

*Vote for Marriage NC: www.voteFORmarriagenc.com

*NC Family Policy Council: www.ncfamily.org

*Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission: www.erlc.com

*Family Research Council: www.frc.org

In This Issue

Weekly Update

Marriage Amendment Myth

God's Word

Myths about the Marriage Amendment

The issues and arguments presented by those who oppose the Marriage Amendment are most likely based on emotional and personal reactions rather than facts.

Examine the evidence in a logical manner by reading the myths and factual responses to the opposing persons.

Myth: We do not need to vote because the current NC laws and Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) are already sufficient for our state.
TRUTH: North Carolina Marriage laws, while strong, are increasingly vulnerable to legal challenges and revision by the Courts and Legal Activists .

* Although North Carolina law defines marriage as only between a man and a woman, and is further protected through a DOMA law that specifies that same-sex "marriages" performed in other states will not be recognized here, similar laws in other states have proven to be no match for activist judges or politicians who are intent on overturning them.
NC G.S. 51-1.2

The redefinition of marriage has been achieved only through the courts or by legislative action-never by a vote of the people.

ElHage, Alysse, "The Issue That Will Not Go Away: An Update on the Battle Over Marriage Redefinition," Family North Carolina Magazine, Spring 2010.

* In April 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court struck down Iowa's marriage laws as unconstitutional. Similar to North Carolina, Iowa had a DOMA law on the books, but lacked a Marriage Protection Amendment.

NCFPC, "Same-Sex 'Marriage' Legalized in Iowa," 4/3/09, as found at: http://www.ncfamily.org/stories/090403s1.html; See also:Varnum v. Brian as found at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Recent_Opinions/20090403/07-1499.pdf

* The escalating legal challenges to the federal DOMA pose a significant threat to state DOMA laws, including North Carolina's.

* It is only a matter of time before a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's marriage laws is filed by one or more same-sex couples from this state that have been legally "married" in D.C. or states where same-sex "marriage" is legal.

* The only way to protect North Carolina's marriage laws from redefinition by the courts is to preserve the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman through an amendment to the State Constitution.

A Marriage Protection Amendment would preserve our marriage law in the State Constitution. By passing a bill to place this measure on the ballot, the legislature would be giving the citizens of North Carolina the right to protect the definition of marriage in our State Constitution.