A new poll shows the courts and the people of Massachusetts have a very different view on legalizing homosexual "marriage."
The Coalition for Marriage announced on Wednesday in Boston that a new Zogby poll has found that the people of Massachusetts, by a 52%-to-42% margin, do not want their state to legalize homosexual marriage. The poll also found that the majority of the people (69%) want the right to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage.
Associated Press reports that cries of "Amen!" rang through a Massachusetts Statehouse meeting room yesterday as more than 200 people demanded a constitutional amendment banning homosexual marriage. Bishop Gilbert Thompson, a Boston pastor and member of the Black Ministerial Alliance -- one of the groups in the Coalition for Marriage -- said, "This radical sexual revolution will destroy a road map that our children desperately need."
Coalition spokesman Dr. Ron Crews, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, describes what he sees as the reaction of the state's electorate. "What we have seen since the Supreme Judicial Court decision on November 18 to redefine marriage is a palpable sense of disbelief and outrage from people all across Massachusetts," Crews says. "Many Massachusetts citizens believe that the high court has usurped the power of the legislature."
The Coalition is dedicated to educating residents of Massachusetts about the benefits of traditional marriage -- and motivating them to take a stand to preserve. Crews tells Family News In Focus that according to the Zogby poll, the group's education campaign is working.
"It seems the more people consider the long-term impact of homosexual marriage on the family and society, the more they oppose homosexual marriage," he says.
But Are the Legislators Listening? Genevieve Wood of the Family Research Council has high hopes for the impact of the Zogby poll. She notes that on February 11, the state's legislators will be deciding whether to allow the people of Massachusetts to vote on a constitutional amendment protecting marriage as being one man and one woman.
"State legislators are elected officials," Wood points out, "and if they see polls showing the majority of voters want the opportunity to vote on this kind of amendment, I think that's a good way to push some of these state legislators who may be on the fence over on the right side."
Glenn Stanton, senior analyst for marriage and sexuality at Focus on the Family, is hopeful Massachusetts' lawmakers are taking note of the poll.
"The people of Massachusetts want a say in how marriage will be defined in their state," Stanton tells Family News In Focus. "Given the important role marriage plays in the welfare of a society, such a decision cannot be left up to four unaccountable judges bent on social engineering." The November decision handed down by the state's high court was 4-3 in favor of homosexual marriage.
National Public Radio also conducted a recent poll that shows President Bush will gain support if he continues to defend the traditional view of marriage. Respondents to that poll were asked if they would vote to re-elect Bush or for the nominee of the Democratic Party. The president came out on top of that poll by a narrow margin of 46% to 42%.
NPR then asked a follow-up question: "What if the only difference between President Bush and the Democratic nominee was support for civil unions, with President Bush opposing civil unions and the Democrat nominee supporting civil unions? How would you vote then?" The result was a 51%-to-35% margin in favor of President Bush -- a 12-point swing.
One pro-family leader is calling on the president to use his upcoming State of the Union address to clarify for the American people his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment that would protect marriage as between one man and one woman. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, who notes that Mr. Bush's support to date for such an amendment has been lukewarm, believes if the president does that, it would not only enhance the amendment's chances for success, but also garner him greater support among the American public.