In July, the House of Representatives passed a bill misnamed the Respect for Marriage Act. The legislation repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which had asserted the traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Of course, the 5 to 4 Supreme Court decision in 2015, Obergefell V. Hodges, legalizing same-sex marriage already effectively repealed DOMA. So, why are Senate Democrats pushing a vote to repeal something no longer in force? The advocates say they are doing so because they fear the Supreme Court will invalidate same-sex marriage based on the same reasoning it used to overturn Roe v. Wade. This is disingenuous. The Court majority specifically said the Roe decision was not linked to any other precedent.
What is clear is that the deceptively-named Respect for Marriage Act will provide a new avenue for attacks on people of faith and religious liberty. To pass the Senate, the legislation needs 60 senators to vote to advance it. All 50 Democrats appear certain to support it. Most Republican senators oppose it, but some are wavering. It is important to urge Republican senators to oppose the bill and to safeguard religious liberty.
We are about halfway through the transition period between the outgoing Biden-Harris administration and the incoming Trump-Vance team. Every day, President-elect Trump has been announcing appointments to key positions in his second administration. Those “personnel” will often determine policy.
As we give thanks this week to God we should remember this: without His provision and protection, our nation is doomed. America’s increasing secularization represents a mortal threat. Ironically, we can even see our drifting from God in the annual Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations issued throughout our nation’s history.
We do have one warning! Christians must not conclude that their work is done. The battle to save and preserve our country as “one nation under God” will continue to rage. We urge you to pray for the safety of President-elect Trump and his team. We also implore pastors and church leaders to boldly lead their flocks into the public square and stand firm for faith, family, and freedom.