State Lawmakers Move for Massive Constitutional Change That Would End Gay Marriage
Republican legislators in Iowa are proposing a major addition to the state constitution that would ban gay marriage in the state.
The resolution, which was introduced by eight Republican lawmakers, reads, “In accordance with the laws of nature and nature’s God, the state of Iowa recognizes the definition of marriage to be the solemnized union between one human biological male and one human biological female.”
If the law is passed, it would pose a direct challenge to the federal government’s recognition of same-sex marriage in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case of 2015 and last fall’s “Respect for Marriage Act.”
Naturally, the Democrats have been quick to come out and condemn this resolution as “disgusting” and “backward,” according to NBC News.
However, even if this resolution did not succeed in becoming law, according to NBC, in a separate filing, eight Republican legislators, six of whom signed the other resolution, would protect the rights of citizens and organizations to refuse to recognize same-sex marriage on religious grounds.
The text of the bill, H.F. 508, explicitly states, “no resident of Iowa shall be compelled, coerced, or forced to recognize any same-sex unions or ceremonies as marriage, notwithstanding any laws to the contrary that may exist in other states, and no legal action, criminal or civil, shall be taken against citizens in Iowa for refusal or failure to recognize or participate in same-sex unions or ceremonies.”
It also declares certain parts of the “Respect for Marriage Act” to be “null and void” in Iowa, as it violates the religious freedom of citizens.
Naturally, either resolution, if passed, would cause a political and cultural firestorm in the nation, and many other states would feel emboldened to pass similar laws either banning same-sex marriage or protecting the religious freedom of citizens.
It is wonderful to hear that lawmakers in Iowa are considering passing these laws. These resolutions recognize the Scriptural truth that marriage is between one man and one woman or at least recognize that citizens have a right to hold to the biblical view of marriage.
Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that the first resolution will become the law of the state of Iowa any time soon, as it would immediately be hit with legal challenges and would probably be overturned as violating the “respect for marriage act.”
But the fact that lawmakers in Iowa are having this discussion at least opens the door for the possibility in the future that we may finally be able to effectively push back against same-sex marriage.
Also, if the second bill were passed into law, while it would not ban gay marriage, it would at least recognize the right of Christians to be opposed to gay marriage, meaning that there is a possibility of banning it sometime down the road.
This second bill is especially a good starting point because it does not restrict the rights of those who are not Christian and hold different beliefs, it merely affirms the rights of Christians to hold their beliefs.
This is something that is sorely needed right now, as the “Respect for Marriage Act” constitutes a serious threat to the First Amendment rights of Americans who believe in the biblical view of marriage.
Now, after years of giving in, it seems that there are at least some Republicans who are willing to fight back.
We have a really long way to go before we return our nation to God’s law, but this is a start, just as the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer was a good start to protecting the lives of the unborn.
If we all follow the example of the Iowa lawmakers, we just might be able to turn the tide of the culture war in our favor.
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