Battle for Marriage III to Coincide with House Debate

The third national Battle for Marriage has been pushed back to September 19, to coincide with the House debate on the Marriage Protection Amendment
Aug 19, 2004 09:42 PM EDT

With the House of Representatives slated to debate the Marriage Protection Amendment next month, the nation’s head pro-family groups moved back their third “Battle for Marriage” broadcast to September 19.

The “Battle for Marriage III” rally will take place “just as House members gear up to debate a constitutional amendment that would protect the traditional definition of marriage, thus banning same-sex “marriage,”” the conservative Baptist Press reported.

This rally, unlike the two held earlier this year, will be situated in three locations: First Baptist Church in Springdale, Ark. -- where Ronnie Floyd serves as pastor – will operate as the base site, and Focus on the Family's James Dobson will address the crowd there. Two other sites -- David Jeremiah's Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego and an undetermined location in Washington, D.C. -- will serve as remote locations. The Southern Baptist Richard Land of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council are scheduled to speak from the location in Washington, D.C.

"The only way the supporters of same-sex marriage will succeed in forcing it on America will be to silence the critics," Perkins wrote in a letter to pastors. "Who are their critics? Those who speak up about traditional moral values and biblical truth. That's why other countries like Canada that have legalized same sex marriage are now silencing the Church by making the preaching of scripture that condemns homosexuality hate speech."

Churches and individuals who wishes to watch the rally live can do so by registering online at www.wevotevalues.com

The Marriage Protection Amendment is the new name for the widely known Federal Marriage Amendment. The amendment needs the support of 2/3 of both the House and Senate to pass.