Conservative Faith Coalition Urges Congress To Defend DOMA

By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner said on Friday (March 4) that he and fellow lawmakers will defend the Defense of Marriage Act after the Obama administration dropped its support for the law last month.

"The constitutionality of this law should be determined by the courts -- not by the president unilaterally -- and this action by the House will ensure the matter is addressed in a manner consistent with our Constitution," said Boehner, R-Ohio.

Attorney General Eric Holder told Boehner last month that President Obama considers the 1996 law that defines marriage as solely between a man and a woman to be unconstitutional.

Boehner said he would convene a bipartisan legal advisory group to defend DOMA. That group, under House rules, is authorized to instruct the office of the House General Counsel to do legal work for the House.

Boehner's decision comes a day after Catholic, Protestant and Sikh leaders pushed Congress to defend DOMA.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Association of Evangelicals and the U.S. branch of the World Sikh Council said in a joint letter that Obama's decision to stop defending DOMA, as the law is known, "has undermined the rule of law and the separation of powers."

"The American people do not want their wishes being overruled by the judiciary -- or the executive," they wrote.

Signatories to the letter also include executives of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Anglican Church in North America and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

Comments

[Ahmed Moussaoui]

05:31 PM on 03/21/2011

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[pita143]

08:43 PM on 03/10/2011

Okay, lets defend marriage. NO MORE frivolous divorces. No more irreconcilable differences. Unless there is a crime committed within the Marriage, you stay married. You promised to "Love, Honor, etc, etc.....Till Death us do part"
That would lose a number of Republicans right off the bat.

[shrinktalkingheads]

11:09 AM on 03/09/2011

"Conservative Faith Coalition Urges Congress To Defend DOMA" because without it, the religious "right" is down to a single wedge issue.

[Appleton]

06:20 PM on 03/08/2011

The Defense of Marriage Act is a religious statute passing as secular public policy. It has no more to do with protecting the family unit than Rep. Peter King's investigation of Islam has to do with protecting us from terrorism.

The functions of religion and state with respect to marriage are separate and distinct. The interest of the state is regulatory. Statutes define the requirements for marriage, the resulting rights and duties and the manner of dividing assets and providing for minor children in the event of dissolution. In most states even notaries public may solemnize marriage. When marriages are performed by clergy, they are acting as agents for the state rather than as representatives of God.

Religion is concerned with marriage as sacrament, and each religion prescribes its own set of rules relating to eligibility and formal ritual. But regardless of the nature of the religious ceremony, legal recognition comes only with the submission of documents required under state law.

Thus a marriage at law is not a sacrament, but a civil union. Extending the right to form a civil union to gays no bearing on the religious definition of marriage and does not in any manner threaten the ability of various religions to regulate marriage as a sacrament.

It is not surprising that evangelicals wish to fight this battle because they wish to replace the republic with a theocracy. But the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ought to know better.

[Janicot]

08:57 PM on 03/07/2011

"The American people do not want their wishes being overruled by the judiciary -- or the executive.­"

The American people also do not want their civil rights being overruled by the judiciary -- or the executive -- or the legislative. Why is it OK for conservangelicals to put their values ahead of the rights of others? Why do those whose beliefs differ have to bend to their will?

[Ioan Lightoller]

04:55 PM on 03/08/2011

Because they think that they own this country. Remember we are dealing with people who are under the delusion that this is a "Christian nation". Many of them also believe that their destiny is to take over this country for their god. We have some seriously dangerous, delusional individuals out there.

[John Melgar]

01:34 PM on 03/14/2011

it kinda is a christian nation it was founded under the principles of christians. and 62 percent of the country are christians to say that it is not one is far fetched

[Samnchgo]

11:38 AM on 03/07/2011

"The American people do not want their wishes being overruled by the judiciary -- or the executive." The lack of Constitutional understanding in that statement is astounding. According to the authors of the letter, Congress is supreme when it comes to our government. According to them, there are no longer the 3 equal branches. The purpose of the Judicial branch IS to review laws and determine whether or not they are Constitutional and overturn them if they are found to be unconstitutional. That is NOT overruling the will of the people. It is protecting the rights of the people from Legislative overreach.

Laws should not be made by polling or popularity. They should be based on upholding, affirming and solidifying the rights of the people -- not the "will" of a tyrannical portion of the population.
Further, most polls show that a majority of people now favor same sex marriage

[basecamp]

09:57 AM on 03/07/2011

If marriage is so holy, why is divorce over 50% in these churches?

[Grada3784]

03:03 AM on 03/07/2011

Gee and here I thought conservatives were against shariah law. I guess it's just the spicy Muslim version; it seems they really like the blander christian flavor.

[Aaron Pozdol]

01:26 AM on 03/07/2011

It's frankly shocking that the GOP is still pushing the myth that the DOJ won't enforce the law as long as it's on the books.

[taddles]

10:33 PM on 03/07/2011

Any lie to rile up the low information bagger voter.

[me again]

06:33 PM on 03/06/2011

Evangelics need to stay out of politics. This is none of their business!

[basecamp]

09:59 AM on 03/07/2011

Agree, but IF they want to play politics, they need to PAY TAXES!

[okim5150]

05:28 PM on 03/06/2011

I want religious leaders to stay out of all three branches of the government. We used to have separation of church and state, what happened to it? Folks are free to believe what they like. When they start trying to influence politicians, the need to register as PAC's and start paying taxes.

[Ioan Lightoller]

04:56 PM on 03/08/2011

Amen to THAT! If they want to meddle in politics, they need to pay for the privilege like the rest of us. No pay, no play.

[damilitantone]

04:33 PM on 03/06/2011

Why not focus on keeping the 50% of the marriages that end in divorce together? Why not ask folks like Newt Gingrich why they've been married and divorced if they are such believers in the DOMA.

[truth be told again]

03:10 PM on 03/06/2011

(Oops, didn't finish):

"form a coalition to counter the 'religious' 'right'.

[Hardyman1966]

03:03 PM on 03/06/2011

Hide behind "religion", "faith" and "family values" all you want.  

Bigotry and hatred is what it boils down to.  

Period.

[basecamp]

10:00 AM on 03/07/2011

A little greed thrown in for extra flavor!

[Bob Kellerman]

05:45 PM on 03/07/2011

SORRY----

IT'S ABOUT KEEPING THEIR RACKETS GOING
---- they dont even have to bother to hate you.
----- you are just collateral damage in their war to keep their power

[truth be told again]

03:02 PM on 03/06/2011

I sure hope the gay-supportive faiths (United Methodist Church, Metropolitan Community Churches, the Universalist-Unitarians, both the Reformed and the (ahem) Conservative branches of Judaism, the Quakers (yes, the QUAKERS!), and any other denominatins and congregations that favor equality and freedom and justice for ALL.