October 16, 2004

"This issue [of same-sex 'marriage'] has the potential to redefine and, ultimately, to destroy the institution of marriage in this country -- and with marriage goes the family. The Church can't afford to be silent on this issue." -- Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship Ministries

A national effort is under way to encourage pastors to dedicate the month of October to saving traditional marriage and to help educate the public about the dangers of same-sex "marriage."

The effort, spearheaded by Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson and the Wilberforce Forum, is titled "Redefining Marriage: A Crisis for Children."  The initiative's goal is to alert the American public to the threat homosexual marriage poses to the stability of American families and children.

According to Mike Snyder of the Wilberforce Forum, it is easy in today's culture to dismiss the entire issue of same-sex marriage.

"We don't have a sexual orientation problem in this world in the way we normally talk about it," Snyder states, "but we do have a sexual orientation problem. The problem is different, and it is this: It's that our whole culture is oriented to sex. It doesn't matter whether you're heterosexual or homosexual; there's so much focus on sex in our culture, we get really distracted."

Because of the cultural bent toward sexual issues, Snyder says it is vital that Christians promote God's plan for marriage -- and that they make it their top cultural priority to stop the spread of same-sex unions.

"God has a simple plan," he says.  "The plan is that sex belongs in marriage. It is for procreation and for building intimacy in that bond between a man and a woman where they can be completed.  Everything else is sexual disorientation."

The website for the "National Preaching Initiative" (http://www.pfm.org/AM/fma_splash.html) offers free sermons, research material, and articles to help pastors and church leaders increase their knowledge of the issue.

According to the Hoover Institution, widespread acceptance of same-sex marriage will widen the already existing gap between parenthood and marriage and continue to break down the family.  Studies confirm that the lack of an intact family puts children at greater risk of abuse, drug use, poor school performance, sexual promiscuity, and criminal activity.