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Politically active Christians, among others, say marriage is the next great social issue for the church in North America. "I think we're on the front side of another Roe v. Wade," Bill Murray, spokesman for the Family Research Council, told Christianity Today. "It's definitely going to be the biggest issue during the election."

Leaders say the issue transcends political ideology.

"Every once in a while, a great nation has to deal with a great issue," American Values president Gary Bauer said at an October press conference in Washington, where 24 founding members of the Coalition to Protect Marriage made their case. "Millions of people understand that it's not bigotry to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman."

Spurred by pro-gay court rulings in Canada, the U.S. Supreme Court's Lawrence and Garner v. Texas decision, and last week's Massachusetts' Supreme Court ruling, the coalition is using radio and television broadcasts, daily e-mails, and two websites (MarriageProtectionWeek.com and nogaymarriage.com) to urge citizens to contact their elected representatives.

On another website (protectmarriage.org), the Family Research Council has included a sample sermon and talking points. FRC also is distributing a Marriage Protection Pledge it will ask all federal and state elected officials to sign.

"Americans cannot defend politicians who will not defend marriage," said Sandy Rios, president of Concerned Women for America.

Marriage defenders already have one high-profile ally: George W. Bush. The President declared October 12-18 as Marriage Protection Week. In his proclamation, Bush said, "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman."

In reaction, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said, "In a desperate move to attract the right-wing base of his party, Bush has again aligned himself with the Rev. Jerry Falwell and right-wing organizations such as the Concerned Women for America and the Family Research Council."

Opponents of homosexual marriage say it would weaken civilization and open the door to many other social arrangements, such as polygamy.

"What abortion is to human life, marriage is to human culture," said Focus on the Family's Glenn Stanton. "Marriage is a non-negotiable thing for human civilization."

Many Americans are leery of gay marriage. A Wirthlin Worldwide poll of 1,000 adults released by the Alliance for Marriage last March reported that 62 percent of Americans believe marriage should be the legal union of a man and a woman. Of traditionally strong Democratic voting blocks, 63 percent of Hispanics and 62 percent of African Americans supported a constitutional amendment to that effect.

The nonpartisan Alliance for Marriage drafted the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) three years ago. It reads: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."

Supporters of an amendment have different agendas on whether to seek broader language specifically banning civil unions, which some groups say constitute marriage in all but name. Vincent McCarthy, director of the Center for Marriage Law of New Milford, Connecticut, said there is a "legitimate difference of opinion" over whether the amendment would allow for same-sex unions and domestic partnerships in the states.

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December 2003, Vol. 47, No. 12