From the Bangor Daily News, which covered the Bangor press conference:
"We feel a moral obligation at this pivotal time to raise our voices on behalf of Mainers who are denied that most basic human right-the right to marry and form a family with the person of their choice," said the Rev. Mark Doty, pastor at the Hammond Street Congregational Church, where a press conference was held.
From the Ellsworth American:
The four ministers who spoke at Union Congregational Church said it was important for clergy to make their views known.
"As a straight, married clergyman I support equal marriage because it is good and right and fair," said the Rev. Mark Worth of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine.
He said a "conservative case" can easily be made for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage since marriage promotes family stability, financial security, loyalty and monogamy.
The Rev. Victor Stanley of the Somesville Union Meeting House, United Church of Christ said he is gay and is in a committed relationship, yet both he and his partner are prevented from enjoying the benefits of marriage.
"As a native Mainer I was brought up to have a strong sense of knowing right from wrong," Stanley said. "Discrimination is wrong."
The Rev. Leela Sinha of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Ellsworth, said her parents were an interracial couple at a time when such marriages were still illegal in many states.
She said she and her partner live, work and pay taxes in the state, yet are not able to have a legally recognized marriage in Maine.
"We want to be married in the eyes of the law," she said. "We are not second class citizens. We want to be treated like a family and married like a family because we are a family."
The Rev. John Holt, minister at the Union Congregational Church, said there are large numbers of religious leaders who support equality in marriage, but they are less vocal than those ministers who are opposed to same-sex marriages.
As one might expect, Mike Heath and the Christian Civic League, er, the Maine Family Policy Council weighed in with their sneers and opinions, both on the announcement as well as on the Bishop's statements.
Liberal religionists held press conferences around Maine yesterday. Homosexuals were only able to muster 120 "religious leaders" to publicly support the radical restructuring of marriage following the overwhelming defeat of so-called "gay" marriage at the polls last Tuesday.
Overwhelming defeat at the polls? Not here in Maine on Election Day, where EqualityMaine, looking for 10,000 signatures supporting gay marriage ended up with over 33,000 signatures!
Undaunted homosexual political activists are nevertheless pressing forward with their well-funded campaign to pervert marriage and ruin lives in the Pine Tree State.
Distinguishing marriage from other rights (Bishop Richard) Malone said, "Marriage is not a civil right open to all like healthcare is."
Unfortunately the Bishop's definition of civil rights, surely unintentional, allows confused ten year old boys to use the little girl's elementary school rest rooms in Maine, and vice versa. His views on civil rights have also led some educators to promote homosexual "families" to young children.
The Civil Rights Teams are promoting same sex marriage. The Maine Family Policy Council wants the Civil Rights Teams defunded. League director Mike Heath said, "Civil rights cannot be based on moral wrongs. Sex outside of marriage is wrong. Everybody knows that."
The Maine Family Policy Council believes that legal rights cannot be based on moral wrongs. The century old Christian ministry therefore supports the repeal of all laws that support and protect homosexuality in any way.
People who choose sexual perversion are citizens who have the same rights as everyone else. Their rights are rooted in their citizenship and proper conduct, not their sexual perversion.
There is no discrimination going on. Homosexuals can already get married in Maine. They simply have to marry someone of the opposite gender. That is what marriage is, after all.
They're losing the battle of public opinion here in Maine- and they know it.
Related: Meanwhile, 5 years later in Massachusetts |
