Marriage Vote Tomorrow

Monday, February 13, 2006

Bryan Fischer, Executive Director

FATE OF MARRIAGE DECIDED TOMORROW

(Note: tomorrow’s update will be delayed so I can bring you a report on the senate vote on the marriage amendment.)

The fate of this year’s marriage amendment is currently scheduled to be decided tomorrow on the senate floor. The senate normally convenes at about 11:00 AM, and you can witness the debate and observe the vote by sitting in the gallery, which is on the fourth floor.

Last year’s amendment failed by three votes, and it remains to be seen if three senators can be persuaded to change their position. Sen. Brad Little, who represents a conservative farming community (Emmett, Parma), disappointed the pro-family community last Friday by again (for the fourth time) voting against maximum protection for natural marriage.

IDAHO FALLING BEHIND: FIVE MORE STATES SCHEDULE MARRIAGE AMENDMENTS FOR THE BALLOT

Currently 19 states have already amended their state constitutions to protect marriage, with an average of 71% of the vote. Such amendments are necessary to protect marriage from activist judges, whom the Family Research Council correctly calls “extreme left-wing judicial dictators.”

Five mores states (Alaska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia) will have constitutional amendments on their ballots this year banning homosexual “marriages.” And more are on the way – it is possible that 17 states may pass such amendments this year.

This is truly an amazing thing, that in a state where 89% of elected officials are Republican, with a Republican platform that directs them to “use all means possible to prevent the expansion of the definition of marriage beyond a bond between one man and one woman,” Idaho would be lagging so far behind the rest of progressive America.

The word from Washington is that the new House Majority Leader, John Boehner, and the Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, will schedule a vote on a federal constitutional amendment to ban homosexual “marriages” before the 2006 election.

WALTER BAYES CONTINUES FAST FOR LIFE

Meanwhile, Walter Bayes of Wilder is beginning the sixth week of a fast for the unborn. Bayes is currently committed to fast until he dies or Idaho passes a law that outlaws abortion at all stages of pregnancy. He spoke yesterday at an event on the Capitol steps attended by about 200 people, and his pro-life fast was featured in a prominent article in last Friday’s Statesman.

Perhaps in God’s economy Mr. Bayes’ prayer and fasting has contributed to the advance of the pro-life movement in South Dakota. There, the House last week passed legislation overwhelmingly (47-22) that protects human life from the moment of conception. If it passes the state senate and is signed into law, it could lead to a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade and the dawn of a new era for babies in the womb.

The South Dakota bill is based on the sound medical and scientific premise that human life begins at conception. Each child has a unique DNA from the moment the human embryo is first formed and begins a process of development that culminates in birth.

Thus it is the pro-life community which is taking its stand on the best science we have, and the abortion lobby which is trying, as the church did in the days of Galileo, to censor science in the name of a pre-determined agenda.

Wilder abortion activist is starving to make a point

IVA IN THE NEWS

The IVA received mention in an Idaho Statesman article over the weekend, dealing with an announced boycott by the religious left of the State Leadership Prayer Breakfast. Organizers have invited a Muslim convert to Christianity to be the keynote speaker. The IVA was quoted to the effect that organizers should be free to invite anyone they’d like since we still have freedom of speech and religion in America.

Although this part of the interview was not used in the article, I also pointed out to the reporter that the history and traditions of this country are distinctly Christian, and it’s time for us all to accept that and get over being offended when that tradition is honored.

Speaker sparks prayer breakfast boycott

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