Family Research Council on Supreme Court Oral Arguments: American People Will Not Accept Redefinition of Marriage
By FRC. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement after today’s oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges – the case considering whether the federal Constitution requires the states to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples:
“After today, we are more hopeful the Court will get it right, but I do know that regardless of what their decision is, it will not settle this issue.
“Today, parties came before the Supreme Court asking the Justices to redefine marriage, and to impose that redefinition on all 50 states. Simply put, the plaintiffs asked the Supreme Court to take the extraordinary step of departing from all of recorded human history and forcing a redefinition of civilization’s most fundamental human relationship upon an unwilling nation.
“There is no broad social consensus, and there is no global consensus that society would be better served by redefining marriage to include same-sex couples. To the contrary, America remains deeply divided over this issue and if the Supreme Court forces a redefinition it will only further divide the nation.
“History has shown us that something so deeply rooted in nature itself cannot be erased by legal action. I can say with certainty that a very large portion of the American population will not accept a redefinition of marriage imposed by the Court. The Court was unable to ‘resolve’ the issue of abortion for the nation in its Roe v. Wade decision, and the Court will not resolve this issue either.
“In 1973, the Court supercharged the abortion issue and 42 years later it is an issue in every election from President on down. A decision demanding the redefinition of marriage will be even more divisive as the freedom to live your life according to your beliefs is put in jeopardy for millions of Americans.
“The states must be left free by the U.S. Supreme Court to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman,” concluded Mr. Perkins.
To review FRC’s amicus brief, please see: https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF15D21.pdf
Decide yourself whether Americans will not accept redefinition of marriage by reviewing the results of the WPA Opinion Research survey on the Supreme Court deciding marriage here: https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF15B71.pdf
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Gay Marriage Arguments Divide Supreme Court Justices
By Adam Liptak. The Supreme Court on Tuesday was deeply divided over one of the great civil rights issues of the age, same-sex marriage. But Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose vote is probably crucial, gave gay rights advocates reasons for optimism based on the tone and substance of his questions.
In two and a half hours of arguments over whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry, Justice Kennedy sent conflicting signals. At some points, he seemed wary of moving too fast and torn about what to do. But his demeanor was more emotional and emphatic when he made the case that same-sex couples should be permitted to marry. He is also the author of three landmark opinions expanding the rights of gay Americans.
The other justices for the most part played to type, clashing over what they saw as the right answer in the case and also over how to reach it. The questioning illuminated their conflicting views on history, tradition, biology, constitutional interpretation, the democratic process and the role of the courts in prodding social change. (Read more from this story HERE)
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