Religious leaders push marriage protection law

WASHINGTON — America’s top Roman Catholic leaders have joined a broad national push against gay “marriage” one month before the Senate is set to consider a constitutional amendment to ban such unions. Fifty religious leaders have signed a petition, released April 24, that urges the Senate to approve the Marriage Protection Amendment, which would amend the Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

As in past efforts, the campaign is led by prominent evangelicals, including Focus on the Family founder James Dobson; Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; and Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Other signatories include Jewish, Episcopal, Orthodox and Lutheran leaders, as well as Russell M. Nelson, an elder representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, the names that figure most prominently on the document are seven Roman Catholic cardinals. The Senate isn’t expected to have the 67 votes required for passage when the measure comes up June 6. Still the issue resonates with the Republican base and it increased the turnout in the 2004 elections, when 11 states passed constitutional amendments outlawing gay “marriage.”  (TAB)