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dcnovice -> Billy Graham backs N.C. anti-gay marriage amendment (5/3/2012 8:08:21 PM)
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quote:
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The Rev. Billy Graham urged North Carolina voters Wednesday to support an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage, a move that an observer said was highly unusual but another said was in keeping with the minister's moral beliefs.
"Watching the moral decline of our country causes me great concern," said Graham, 93, who lives near Asheville. "I believe the home and marriage is the foundation of our society and must be protected."
His complete statement about Amendment One will be part of full-page ads slated to appear in 14 North Carolina newspapers throughout the weekend.
Graham's statement was issued by the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which is led by Graham's son, the Rev. Franklin Graham. Franklin Graham recorded a message last month in support of Amendment One, which is on the ballot in the election Tuesday.
"At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage," Billy Graham's statement said. "The Bible is clear — God's definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. I want to urge my fellow North Carolinians to vote for the marriage amendment" Tuesday.
William Martin, who wrote the authorized Graham biography A Prophet With Honor, couldn't recall another effort by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association like the one the ministry plans in support of Amendment One.
Story at USA Today
Well, I'm disappointed. No surprise there. A few thoughts:
-- Perhaps naively, I'd always seen Graham as being of a different stripe than, say, Falwell or Robertson. But here he is, not only making a statement in support of antigay legislation, but taking out newspaper ads to get the word out.
-- Graham presumably knows the Bible well enough to grasp that its picture of marriage is more complex than "a man and a woman." Plenty of the Good Book's stars engaged in polygamy and concubinage. So it's a bit disingenuous to suggest that the "definition" of marriage is somehow timeless.
-- Gay marriage is already illegal in North Carolina. The amendment appears to rule out domestic partnerships as well (source).
-- It will be interesting to see the debate over whether Billy Graham is representative of Christianity.
-- I'm proud to note that the Episcopal bishops of North Carolina came out against the amendment.
Thoughts?
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