Senate schedules marriage amendment vote for June.A proposed federal marriage amendment The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) (also known as the Marriage Protection Amendment) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would define marriage in the United States as a union of one man and one woman. is apparently headed for a floor vote in the U.S. Senate in June. Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) recently announced that the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment" will be brought forward then. SJ.Res.1 is a constitutional amendment that would ban samesex marriage in America. The proposal states, "Marriage in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. shall consist only of the union of a man and woman." In the Senate's last session, a similar measure fell short of the two-thirds needed to advance a constitutional change. Americans United for Separation of Church and State Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Americans United or AU for short) is a religious freedom advocacy group in the United States which promotes the separation of church and state, a legal doctrine seen by the AU as being enshrined in the Establishment has urged the Senate to defeat the measure, arguing that it would enshrine en·shrine also in·shrine tr.v. en·shrined, en·shrin·ing, en·shrines 1. To enclose in or as if in a shrine. 2. To cherish as sacred. in the Constitution the view of marriage held by the majority faiths. Indeed, Religious Right leaders and the Roman Catholic bishops are urging their members to contact Congress in support of the proposal. In March, the U.S. Catholic bishops' Administrative Committee reaffirmed its opposition to "any legislative and judicial attempts, both at state and federal levels, to grant same-sex unions A Same-sex union refers to an enduring relationship between two people of the same gender. Literary, historical, and archaeological evidence of such unions has been found for a number of diverse cultures as early as 2400 B.C. the equivalent status and rights of marriage." The committee also offered "general support for a federal marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution as we continue to protect marriage in state legislatures A state legislature may refer to a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. The following legislatures exist in the following political subdivisions: In early April, Bishop William S. Skylstad William Stephen Skylstad (born 2 March 1934 in Omak (Methow) in Okanogan County, Washington) is an American Roman Catholic Bishop. He is currently the Roman Catholic Bishop of Spokane in Washington and the outgoing President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. , president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement supporting the federal marriage amendment. An alliance of religious, educational, civil liberties and other public-interest groups called the Coalition Against Discrimination in the Constitution, of which Americans United is a member, is circulating an open letter in opposition to the marriage amendment for religious groups and leaders to sign. The letter reads, in part, "We are concerned that the Marriage Protection Amendment would mark the first time in history that an amendment to the Constitution would restrict the civil rights of an entire group of Americans. Misusing our nation's most cherished document for this purpose would tarnish tarnish, n 1. surface discoloration or loss of luster by metals. Under oral conditions, it often results from hard and soft deposits. 2. a chemical process by which a metal surface is discolored or its luster destroyed. our proud tradition of expanding citizens' rights by Constitutional amendment, a tradition long supported by America's faith communities. These concerns alone merit rejection of the Marriage Protection Amendment." Religious leaders interested in signing the letter may do so at the Web site: www.FaithForFariness.org. |
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