Maine’s governor signed a freshly passed bill Wednesday approving gay marriage, making it the fifth state to approve the practice and moving New England closer to allowing it throughout the region.
New Hampshire legislators were also poised to send a gay marriage bill to their governor, who hasn’t indicated whether he’ll sign it. If he does, Rhode Island would be the region’s sole holdout.
The Maine Senate voted 21-13, with one absent, for a bill that authorizes marriage between any two people rather than between one man and one woman, as state law currently allows. The House had passed the bill Tuesday.
Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, who hadn’t previously indicated how he would handle the bill, signed it shortly afterward. In the past, he said he opposed gay marriage but supported civil unions, which provide many benefits of marriage.
Debate was brief. Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, turned the gavel over to an openly gay member, Sen. Lawrence Bliss, D-South Portland, to preside over the final vote.
Glenn Adams
Associated Press
Analysis:
The writer indicates that Maine is the fifth state to legalize same sex marriage. The liberal Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered that state to grant the right of marriage to homosexual couples. Vermont passed a state law over the veto of its governor. Connecticut and now Maine raise the number to four in the New England area. Outside of New England, the Supreme Court of the state of Iowa has ordered that state to allow homosexual marriage as well. And, of course, for a while California allowed the practice until voters passed a law making it unlawful.
It is believed that New Hampshire will quickly pass a law making same sex marriage legal in that state, and the measure is likewise before the people of Rhode Island, though it is doubtful it will pass there.
At the same time, there is presently before the senate a Federal Hate Crimes bill that will give federal protection not only to homosexuals, but to any individual with a “philia” (an obsession, fetish, or unusual sexual fixation). A form of the bill has already been passed in the House of Representatives. Note the following quote from representative Alcee Hastings (D, Florida):
“This bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice and to guarantee that all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability or all of these ‘Philias’ and fetishes and ‘ism’s’ that were put forward need not live in fear because of who they are. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule…”
Understand that many of these “Philias” are illegal (ex: pedophilia, necrophilia). Further, understand that murdering, beating or robbing such individuals is already illegal. What this bill does is make any violence against such individuals a federal hate crime, automatically giving such ungodliness a legitimacy and status that is not deserved. Further, inveighing against such ungodliness will be construed as hate speech, and could leave speakers liable should violence ensue.
We live in a day where men “call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). The prophets woe is well deserved in our time. Brethren, it is time for Christians to become even more active in speaking out against such godliness in our nation!
