The Sanctity of Marriage

The Sanctity of Marriage!

by Leon Howard

Now, before you get your panties in a twist, I am not homophobic; I do not want to tell anybody how they must live; and I try to love all People for who they are!

Recently a friend challenged my stand for marriage – His challenge: “I'd like to hear your constitutional argument. In a republic all individuals are equal under the law. If marriage is to be held as a public institution (which I believe it should not) it must be accessible to all. Why is it that the state should allow one type of person to make a contract, but not another?”

An honest question and I hope I can answer it adequately. I am a Constitutionalist and a Libertarian; that should speak to the fact that I do not care what lifestyle a person chooses as long as it doesn’t infringe on my rights! I am also a Christian and do not believe it would ever be the intent of our founders to redefine the Biblical definition of “marriage”!

I want everybody to remember what Patrick Henry said, “It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

Going back to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitutional Convention, and the drafters of our Bill of Rights, a majority of the signers were religious; holding seminary or Bible school degrees, active clergy, or, like George Washington, deeply religious in words and deeds! I hope one day to be as devout as George Washington but he set a very high standard!

I bring this fact up because, like my friend, Elijah, I do not believe the State has any business in the “marriage business”! Marriage is a religious term and has had but one meaning since before the coming of Jesus Christ: One man and one woman can be married in the eyes of God! In written history, marriage has been between man and woman; not man and man; not woman and woman; not man and horse; not woman and goose; not man and child; and not woman and child! Case in point: Utah could not become a State of the Union until it ended it’s practice of polygamy and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in 1879, that the federal government could outlaw polygamy as it had under the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act. So there is case law history and court decisions upholding it.

I mention this because it shows a consistency in meaning of the term “marriage” for over 4,000 years! It wasn’t mentioned at all in our founding documents because there was no need to! And I do not believe we have the right to redefine a time-honored word to show tolerance to a very small minority of people choosing a different lifestyle!

Why did the State get involved in the Marriage License business in the first place? Is marriage illegal? Because the only reason a “license” is issued is to allow something that is illegal to be done by someone or something without an arrest and/or fine levied: In this state, you must have a license to sell guns commercially but I don’t need a license to sell my own gun. The last time I checked, it is not illegal for a man and woman to live together so why do they need a license to get married? Answer: They don’t!

The “Marriage License” is nothing more to the State than  another revenue generator! It serves no other purpose, as far as the State is concerned and that is as it should be – That is why I do not understand why our elected officials, on both sides of this issue, haven’t come to the conclusion to just end the “Marriage License” scam!

The People of the State of Washington enacted a law to sell “Domestic Partnership Contracts” to any 2 consenting adults so they could start building their estate in a Community Property State – It’s written in such a way that is covers exactly the same thing the so-called Marriage License does but gender isn’t the criteria. If these same “legislators” would repeal the Marriage License law, a couple can buy the Domestic Partnership agreement and then, if they are so inclined and can find a minister willing to perform the marriage, they can be married in the eyes of God!

By doing what this rogue legislature did, they blurred the line – No, they erased the line of what constitutes a “marriage” in Washington state! Already, one household,from a 'reality' TV show, is filing suit to declare the “Marriage Laws” discriminatory because they are a “family” practicing polygamy! Their “logic”? “If the State can redefine marriage to include same-sex marriage, why can’t the definition include any loving ‘family unit’? The State is discriminating against my family!”

Admitting the State has no power in what people do in the privacy of their home as long as they are consenting adults and admitting marriage’s rich religious history and ending the “Marriage License” scam, places the onus back on the churches to decide who can be married in the eyes of God!

This controversy shows clearly the intent of the First Amendment: In this instance, the State is redefining a ceremony repugnant to the teachings of the Holy Bible – Sounds to me like the first step in establishing a “State Church” – Clearly not the intent for religious freedom! Plus they are violating the religious choices of private businesses who won’t cater, rent or sell wedding apparel, or other wedding trappings to same-sex “marriages”!

This change also violates Article I, Section 11, of the Washington State Constitution, which says, in part: “Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship, shall be guaranteed to every individual, and no one shall be molested or disturbed in person or property on account of religion; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and safety of the state. …. ” This ‘redefining’ of “marriage” clearly violates the stated right to an even greater extent than the U.S. Constitution.

This legislation also violates Article I, Section 12, of the Washington State Constitution because priests, pastors, rabbis, etc. are exempted from performing the marriage ceremonies for gay couples but they made no exemptions for church buildings, or businesses who cater to weddings! This section clearly states: “No law shall be passed granting to any citizen, class of citizens, or corporation other than municipal, privileges or immunities which upon the same terms shall not equally belong to all citizens, or corporations.”

Referendum 74 garnered enough signatures for the November ballot and will allow the People to speak. I hope they speak loud and clear and tell this State's "legislature" they have more important things to do to improve our economy than trying to second guess God!