Richard Land: It’s a Devastating Day for Traditional Marriage
The definition of marriage is making headlines again, as the Supreme Court of the United States announced its decision to reverse the voter-approved Proposition 8 in California, meaning that same-sex marriages will now be recognized again in the state.
Additionally, with the Supreme Court decision to overturn the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the vast number of Americans who believe that marriage is a divinely ordained institution will now fight in each of their own states for the legal right and liberty to defend marriage as defined by God as a holy and sacred institution between one man and one woman in holy matrimony.
“Same-sex marriage in America has been a divisive and controversial issue for some time—and will continue to be,” says Southern Evangelical Seminary President Richard Land. “Today is a devastating day for traditional marriage and religious freedom.
“In spite of the blow to this sacred union, we must always remember that marriage is precious, a biblical gift, and one that should not have been tainted by redefining it in a way that is counter to God’s plan for families and for America. Defining marriage for the American people is way above the Supreme Court’s pay grade. God created marriage, and He has defined its parameters, regardless of what the majority of Supreme Court justices might think.”
Proposition 8 was passed by 52 percent of voters in California in 2008, defining marriage between one man and one woman. Two same-sex couples filed a suit challenging the proposition, however, and the case has been in front of the Supreme Court justices since March.
