Ad war over same-sex marriage heats up
3:26 PM Tue, Feb 24, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, RI -- The next shot has been fired in the war over the same-sex marriage proposal headed for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday night. First came a radio ad sponsored by the Rhode Island affiliate of a group - the national Organization for Marriage - that takes credit for helping to defeat a proposed same-sex ballot initiative in California. Their message: show up for the hearing, barrage legislators with e-mails opposing the proposal introduced by Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, and "pray for the defeat of the same-sex marriage bill and passage of the bill preserving marriage, pray for God to move the hearts of the members of the committee, pray for God to protect our State, pray for the sanctity of marriage, and pray for Christians to become united around this cause.'' In response, a group called Marriage Equality Rhode Island began airing a response ad today that rejects civil unions and some of the other alternatives floated by some key lawmakers - including Senate president M. Teresa Paiva Weed - as unacceptable, even as the drive for full marriage rights here enters its 13th year. With a school bell ringing the start of class, a "teacher'' says: "Hello boys and girls....Today we are discussing the lack of civil rights for gay and lesbian citizens of Rhode Island whose stable, loving families have never had the three R's - respect recognition and rights. Civil unions do not provide equal protection under the law....History tells us separate but equal is never equal...Clearly some elected officials have not paid attention in class or done their homework.... Call them. Tell them you support equal marriage rights for all.'' As of last night, a weekend donation drive had netted $2,700 for the radio campaign, according to spokeswoman Susan MacNeil. Out of those donations, she said, $2,430 has been spent so far to run ads today through Thursday. "As additional funds mount, we will continue to purchase air time and, if dollars permit, cable TV advertising. We're also approaching national partners to seek substantial funding for an ongoing media campaign we are calling "The Three R's - Respect, Recognition and Rights'' - which will be the framework for our media and educational initiatives.'' MacNeil said her group worked on Monday with state Rep. Deborah Ruggiero in her capacity as director of community development at the company that owns WPRO, and "she went out of her way to get us in this afternoon to record the ad and schedule air time. We wrote the ad this morning and I recorded it at 2:30 p.m.'' Ruggiero today said she was happy to help "so the other side could be heard on this issue because it's important for all voices to be heard.'' A freshman legislator, the Jamestown Democrat said: "I certainly support the issue...It's a civil right and there is not enough love in the world.'' The ad can also be heard on the MarriageEqualityRI.org blog. 
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Support marriage equality. We live in a secular democracy, so each citizen ought to enjoy equal rights with everyone else, including the right to marry whomever they love and choose to live as legally married people.
And I pray too, and I pray for this to become a reality in Rhode Island now.
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Respect, recognition, and rights.
God wants us to respect the sanctity of marriage, He recognizes those who are married according to the rules He has set in place, and He does give the rights to get married to anyone -- as long as they are a man and woman.
This country was founded on the basis of Christianity -- many of the signers of our Constitution were strong Christians. The Bible was used over and over and over again when determining how this country would be governed -- see Isaiah 33:22, for example, to see how our branches of government were formed.
Whether or not we want to believe it or admit it, and no matter how much we distort it and make laws against it, God's word is the truth, and He has made it very clear what He wants a marriage to look like. May we turn back to Him before it's too late.
I understand that many will see these words are hateful, but they are not. They are written in love, by someone who prays that your eyes may be opened to the truth.
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Respect, recognition, and rights.
God wants us to respect the sanctity of marriage, He recognizes those who are married according to the rules He has set in place, and He does give the rights to get married to anyone -- as long as they are a man and woman.
This country was founded on the basis of Christianity -- many of the signers of our Constitution were strong Christians. The Bible was used over and over and over again when determining how this country would be governed -- see Isaiah 33:22, for example, to see how our branches of government were formed.
Whether or not we want to believe it or admit it, and no matter how much we distort it and make laws against it, God's word is the truth, and He has made it very clear what He wants a marriage to look like. May we turn back to Him before it's too late.
I understand that many will see these words are hateful, but they are not. They are written in love, by someone who prays that your eyes may be opened to the truth.
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Kathleen-
I don't think any homosexuals are asking to be married in YOUR church, nor have their marriage blessed by YOUR God. They are looking for LEGAL recognition of their bond, with equal rights under the same laws. Try seperating church from state. The country was founded on more than one principal. If the church wants to impose their will in the government, let them pay taxes. Remember "No taxation without representation"? It works both ways.
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I'd be more than happy to have my church pay taxes as long as my pastor can have representation in the law. That includes recognition that marriage is defined as one man/one woman, and civil union is the same but outside the church.
Just remember that as soon as you open this door a crack, it opens really wide. Are you really ready to legalize everything that steps through the door? And who gets to decide? You, Me? Kathleen? Rep Ruggiero?
How do you feel about NAMBLY? Do they get marriage contracts too? How about lowering the age of consent to 16? How do you feel about that?
WHO gets to decide where it ends?
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Asiseeit, you asked, "Who gets to decide where it ends?" It's a valid question to ask, and one that goes both ways. For instance, should Muslims be able to require women to cover themselves when they go out in public? Should Jews be able to require everyone to keep kosher? Should Christians be able to require everyone to follow their beliefs? Kathleen would seem to argue, yes, solely because Christians founded this country first. People should respect other people's beliefs, which is why legal marriage would be recognized by the state, and the religious sacrament would be recognized by your place of worship. By the way, I'm a happily married man in a heterosexual relationship. I'm trying to imagine what it would be like if someone else told me I couldn't marry the person I loved.
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