Same-sex marriage bill ‘doesn’t protect those’ with traditional views

Reverend Franklin Graham said on Saturday that the same-sex marriage bill called the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) “does not protect those of us who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.” and expressed support for an amendment proposed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).

“The Respect for Marriage Act returns to the Senate on Monday. Why should this matter to you? Because it could impact you, your family, your church and our nation,” Graham wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.

Graham called the name of the legislation a “smokescreen”, similar to the Inflation Reduction Act, which did nothing to reduce inflation.

“The current version of the Respect for Marriage Act proposed by Senator Chuck Schumer is designed to provide strong protections for same-sex marriage, but it does not protect those of us who believe marriage is between one man and one woman. wife,” Graham wrote. .

As Breitbart News reported:

The RFMA would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require the federal government to recognize any marriage which was “valid in the place where it was contracted”. The bill would further require each state to recognize every same-sex marriage that “is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into.”

The bill also contains a “private right of action” clause, which would allow “any person aggrieved by a violation of paragraph (b)…[to] bring a civil action in the appropriate United States district court against the person who violated such paragraph for declaratory relief and injunctive relief.” Likewise, attorneys general could bring a civil action against anyone who violates the law.

The senses. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) added an amendment entitled “No impact on religious liberty and conscience” meant to assuage religious freedom concerns, though faith advocates say the amendment is almost useless.

Graham called the legislation, which originally passed the Senate earlier this month with the help of 12 Republicans, “dangerous” and said it “would be used against individuals, churches and organizations that honor traditional marriage”.

Graham endorsed an amendment Lee proposed that would “bring much-needed protection of religious liberty and conscience rights to pending legislation.”

“Many say it’s long, but we desperately need senators to demand that the Lee Amendment be added to the current version of the Respect for Marriage Act before it is finalized,” the Reverend added. and encouraged social media followers to reach out to their senators and “Ask them to vote YES for the Lee Amendment.”

In a letter to his colleagues asking them to reject the RFMA unless his amendment is added, Lee affirmed this “[n]o Americans should face legal harassment or retaliation from the federal government for holding sincere religious beliefs or moral convictions.

He added:

My amendment would ensure that federal bureaucrats do not take discriminatory action against individuals, organizations, nonprofits, and other entities based on their sincere religious beliefs or moral convictions about marriage. prohibiting the denial or revocation of tax exempt status, licenses, contracts, benefits etc.

We still have time to protect religious freedom. We ask our colleagues to support my amendment. pic.twitter.com/y7JXkxNXTZ

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) November 19, 2022

“It would affirm that individuals always have the right to act on their faith and deepest convictions, even outside of their church or home,” he noted.