BY JENNIFER MOONEY PIEDRA, jmooney@MiamiHerald.com
With just over a month until Election Day, the religious community is uniting in support of a ballot question that would ban same-sex marriages in Florida.
A handful of church leaders gathered Tuesday outside the Miami-Dade County Courthouse in a show of solidarity for Amendment 2, saying it is needed to save the institution of marriage.
''We're here united to define marriage as one man and one woman,'' said Mark Gonzales, a Texas pastor and founder of Es Tiempo De Votar 2008, a nonpartisan group aimed at boosting voter turnout among Hispanics nationwide.
``We're here to define marriage as it was instituted by God.''
Though gay marriage is already illegal in Florida, the amendment, if passed, would be tacked onto the Florida Constitution, making it difficult for a judge to overturn.
Similar amendments are on the November ballot in California and Arizona, but Florida is the only state that requires 60 percent support for passage.
Voters in 27 other states have already approved the measure.
OPPOSITION
Opponents are hopeful that Floridians will vote ''No'' and shoot down the proposal, which, they argue, could take away the domestic partnership rights of millions of Floridians.
''This amendment could invalidate all domestic partnerships,'' said Derek Newton, campaign manager for Florida Red and Blue, a political committee against Amendment 2.
``What it really says is that because marriage is between a man and a woman, nothing else counts.''
But supporters see it differently.
They say its purpose is clear and simple: to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman.
The group of church leaders, who represented several denominations, said they are not against homosexuals, but they are vehemently opposed to gay marriage.
''We're not against any group,'' said Guillermo Maldonado, pastor of Ministerio Internacional El Rey Jesús in West Kendall. ``We're here to defend marriage according to what the Lord and Bible described from the beginning.''
The religious leaders are asking voters to join them in voting ''Yes'' in support of the ban.
NOT POLITICAL
They contend that their message has nothing to do with politics -- just their faith.
''We are not endorsing Barack Obama or John McCain,'' said Bishop Harry Jackson, founder of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, which aims to unite leaders nationwide on different moral issues.
``We are saying today that marriage has to be preeminent.''
Supporters of the amendment, called the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, argue that it would not ban government or private companies from extending domestic partnership benefits to unmarried couples -- gay or straight.
LANGUAGE AT ISSUE
But opponents, such as Florida Red and Blue, disagree.
They say the amendment's wording -- ''no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized'' -- is too vague and could lead to lawsuits.
Another argument made by critics is that the changed law would have a negative effect on widowed seniors, many of whom choose to be in a domestic partnership, rather than remarry and risk losing some of their benefits.
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Recently an insurance company nearly wind up....
A bank is nearly bankrupt......
How it affect you? Did you buy insurance? Did you buy mini note or bonds?
Who fault?
They bailout trouble finance company, but they will not bail out your credit card bills……You got no choice, and no point pointing finger but you can prevent similar things from happen again……
The top management of the Public listed company ( belong to "public" ) salary should be tied a portion of it to the shares price ( IPO or ave 5 years ).... so when the shares price drop, it don't just penalise the investors, but those who don't take care of the company.....If this rule is pass on, without any need of further regulation, all industries ( as long as it is public listed ) will be self regulated......because the top management will be concern about their own pay check……
Are you a partisan?
Sign a petition to your favourite president candidate, congress member, House of representative again and ask for their views to comment on this, and what regulations they are going to raise for implementation.....If you agree on my point, please share with many people as possible....
http://remindmyselfinstock.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Remind Myself | October 04, 2008 at 10:43 PM