A Call to Action: Respect for Marriage Act

Friends in Christ,

This is a call to action directed specifically to pastors, though it deals with a topic of great importance for all Christians.

In a move aimed at further marginalizing and significantly weakening the nuclear family and the Church, some members of Congress are aggressively pushing a piece of legislation erroneously called the “Respect for Marriage Act.” This act would codify in law many of the recent “social novelties” related to marriage, including same-sex marriage.  Previously, such “marriages” had only been authorized by a decision of the Court in the Obergefell ruling.  This same tactic has been used to try (thus far unsuccessfully) to codify various elements of transgender ideology and to codify abortion.  All of these efforts are very concerning because legalizing a right via legislative statute (verses through Judicial action) frequently obligates, or at least allows, the government to coerce compliance or force public acceptance more aggressively, including the possible imposition of criminal penalties for those who resist.

This link provides a letter recently sent by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) providing pastors with a mechanism to express their concern with the proposed “Respect for Marriage Act”.  After reading it, I hope you will think seriously about adding your signature to it, thus registering your opposition to this ill-considered legislation.

In Christ,

Rev. Fredric Hinz
LCMS Public Policy Advocate,
Minnesota Districts