For Alabama Baptists, the definition of marriage isn’t a debate. As Resolution No. 4 stated during the 2013 Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting in Huntsville — “God established the family as the primary and most influential social institution of mankind and ordained that each human family begin only with the marriage of one man and one woman.”
That view was upheld when the state approved Amendment 774 of Alabama’s Constitution in 2006.
But Federal District Court Judge Callie Granade ruled otherwise. She declared Jan. 23 that marriage laws prohibiting the marriage of same-sex couples violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
After rejecting the state’s arguments for an open-ended stay to delay the ruling until the U.S. Supreme Court hears a same-sex case in June, Granade eventually agreed to put a 14-day stay on the ruling which expires Feb. 9.
Attorney General Luther Strange said the stay allows more time for his office to prepare a stay request to the 11th Circuit Court.
He stated in the appeal that he disagreed that the equal protection clause requires states to recognize same-sex “marriage.”
Two cases
Cari Searcy and Kim McKeand, the plaintiffs in the case, stated that the Alabama law banning same-sex “marriage” prevented the recognition of their 2008 California marriage and Searcy as an adoptive parent to their son, whom McKeand gave birth to in 2005.
On Jan. 27 a second couple, James Strawser and John Humphrey, filed a suit seeking to make Alabama issue them a license citing health and medical reasons.
Granade again found that the couple was not allowed to exercise their fundamental right to marry.
In a letter to Gov. Robert Bentley, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore said he would “continue to recognize the Alabama Constitution and the will of the people overwhelmingly expressed in the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment.” Moore added that “nothing in the U.S. Constitution grants the federal government the authority to redefine the institution of marriage,” according to a report on al.com.
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, wrote on ricklance.com, “As Alabama Baptists we will continue to stand for marriage as defined by Scripture.”
“As Alabama Baptists we will pray for the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. … We also pray for other leaders in government and for those who disagree with us. We will pray for our churches as they continue standing strong in support of the biblical view of marriage.”
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