Yesterday, I, along with others from the faith community, testified against Washington State HB 1727 and SB 5688, both of which are designed to circumvent the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) and the State Supreme Court ruling that up held it.
Thank you to all who attended the hearings. The news media estimated 150 to 200 were present.
It was obvious the House Committee in the 10:00 a.m. hearing was not prepared, emotionally or physically for that kind of crowd.
By the time the Senate hearing took place at 3:30 p.m. yesterday, the gay leaders were a little better prepared to take control of the crowd and the testimonies.
Candidly, here's what I took away from yesterday's hearing.
The significant number of people in attendance to support marriage, shocked the house committee. In fact, Mr. Pederson, the openly gay chairman of the house committee, continually lectured the crowd through out the hearing and was often a little off balance in his comments.
By 3:30 p.m. the Senate hearing was more prepared for the crowd. The hearing room was small and many who came were put in other adjacent rooms - not in the main hearing room. I understand that because the room had been designated in advance of their knowing how many of us would attend, but the people of faith were treated with little to no respect by the chairpersons of both committees. The Senate vice-chair Eric Oemig, openly sneered and smirked through most testimony given by the faith community.
There was a sense in both the House and the Senate that the homosexuals believe it is a "done deal." I don't agree. Senator Swecker and I, along with others of like mind, are working to defeat the Senate bill. I believe we have a shot at it. If not, we will immediately begin a referendum process that will put it before the people. Traditional marriage prevailed in California, Arizona and Florida this past November. We can do it here as well.
Some observations.
The gay activists, including those in elected office, were very defensive. They brought their lawyers and their partners to tell their stories of normalcy, church endorsement and community activity. They brought kids into the hearing room who asked the legislators to please pass this bill so, "I can have a family too."
These two bills and those who are trying to advance them are very deceptive. Senator Ed Murray, sponsor of the Senate Bill, began by referring to the "unfortunate ruling" of the Supreme Court in upholding DOMA, then gave a long list of what his bill is not. He started by saying his bill is "not gay marriage." Technically, that is true, however these bills are designed to undermine marriage and give entree to gay marriage as a next logical and legal step.
I told the committee that if these bills pass they will elevate domestic partnerships to the status of marriage, removing all legal difference between domestic partnerships and traditional marriage. If these bills become law, there will then be litigation to attach the name "marriage" to gay relationships and the homosexual community will have subverted DOMA and the State Supreme Court ruling that upheld it and used the courts to achieve gay marriage.
There is spirit of arrogance and deception in this movement. It was extremely evident.
It is clear that this is a spiritual battle, not a political one. The gay movement is not really about benefits, rights or even marriage. It is a rebellion against the Creator and His natural laws. It is an unrestrained push to normalize that which is not.
If you have ever had a thought of standing for what is good and right, this is the time. It is impossible to estimate the damage and unintended consequences these bills, if passed, will inflict on traditional marriage and family.
Faith and Freedom is on the front line. We are able to stand each day because of your prayerful and financial support. That is needed more today than ever before.
Thank you and God bless you.
God help us.
________________
Gary Randall
President
Faith & Freedom
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I was at both hearings and Gary, you hit the nail right on the head! That is exactly what happened. There was no respect whatsoever for those of us that were there. We were being treated like school children who should be seen and not heard.
ReplyDeleteTricia,
ReplyDeleteJust how much respect do you think Rep Pederson should have given people there to call his sexual orientation a terrible condition, an abomination, making false claims about popular votes that never took place in this state? Seems to me that the anti-gay crowd were given more respect than they offered our elected officials.
"If not, we will immediately begin a referendum process that will put it before the people. "
Yeah, I bet it will be as unsuccessful as the one you did over the last domestic partnership bill.
God is waiting for His Church to turn from THEIR wicked ways before healing our land. So, we should expect it to get worse (judgement, chastisement, destruction) until WE, His Bride, repent of OUR Divorcing and Adultery...
ReplyDeleteWE, who say we are of His Name, but do lie (if we call our adulterous relationships, i.e. "re-marriage" to another while our Wife/Husband still lives), are dealing treacherously with the spouse of our youth (i.e. the living spouse we have left/ put-away [divorced] to "marry" another--which is adultery when our pre-existant , living spouse still lives...!), for the living spouse is our husband/wife by COVENANT...!
And, we are covering our garments with violence...!
see:
http://www.marriagedivorce.com/mdreform2.htm
and
http://www.cadz.net/
Repent...
(Admit it and quit it...)
May God grant US Godly sorrow and
repentance...
Satan came, like an angel of light
But he is a Murderer, a Liar--and The father of lies:
..."Hath God said, 'thou shalt not commit adultery'?"...;
..."You deserve to be happy (or whatever...)...!";
..."Life is too short, get a divorce";
..."divorce dissolves (also, why the world now calls it a "dissolution"...) the covenant, so it's OK now"...;
..."Marriages die", OR "Your marriage is dead"... [WRONG...! THIS IS A REALLY BIG LIE...!!! PEOPLE DIE, I.E. 'STOP BREATHING', NOT THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE. AND, IT IS ONLY THE 'PHYSICAL' DEATH OF A SPOUSE THAT ALLOWS A SURVIVING MAN OR WOMAN TO MARRY AGAIN, THOUGH ONLY IN THE LORD...];
(--The Truth in love, Seattle, WA)
Hearing Tricia's report gives me
ReplyDeletesome confidence, for who are these
uncircumcised Philistines to defy
the church of the living God?
One day soon all that they do against God will come back on their own heads.
If they don't repent they will be
openly slain by their own words, for they deny their creator and
in such condition have no hope of
salvation.. until the day they see
their own shame. At that time, may
they turn to Christ, but if not, let no man esteem them with any honor, for they despised goodness,
truth and good sense, and chose the way of destruction and confussion, having made for themselves a home in the city of
destruction which is reserved for
the judgment of God, who will one
day reveal to them their own ruin.
But the people that know their God
will have faith in him, because of Jesus.
8:10 AM,
ReplyDeleteI'm puzzled as to how you know the condition of the foreskins of the male supporters of this bill. I find it deeply disturbing that care.
I can't help but think that when
ReplyDeletekilling the human life that is in
the womb, is no longer a crime, then marriage really isn't so important in the minds of men, and
so that goes too, and then what's left? Soon anything and everything goes.
And maybe that's why our economy seems to go too. Somehow I think it's connected.
Would our economy do better if our
government would say, "Due to the
economic situation, we are working
on passing a plan that will seek to buy the best deals with the media, as we invest 500 billion dollars on advertisements which will target and seek to deter abortions, 'adult entertainment',
and the current promotion of homosexuality in this nation. We
also are working out new legislation that will give every
human life that is conceived in the womb of every woman that is a
citizen of this nation, the same
rights and protections as if it were native born, as long as that
woman is a citizen of this nation.
We will also be working on getting
rid of all forms of pornography which has been destroying this nation, and we will make all necessary legislation to ensure that homosexuality is not taught as something normal, or to be honored, or given any reverent treatment in our public schools,
though we will ensure that every
young person and adult be treated
with respect because they were made in the image of God. We will
also put adds on TV that will encourage our school children to
have Bible meetings after school as an activity if they so choose,
and we will protect their freedom to do so. People of all religious
beliefs will have the freedom to do just as people do who hold to the Bible as the holy scriptures of God Almighty. This is still the land of religious freedom. We
will not have to accept behavior
that goes against nature as the norm. Let those days be gone in
America.
Doing this should stimulate our economy, as faith in America is still dependent upon God Almighty who delievers us all from
our sins whatever they may be for
each individual. The confidence in
our economy in dependant on our behavior toward God who has freely
shed his grace on this great land.
He has shown himself to be faithful as much of this nation, including myself have shown to him
our unfaithfulness, a thing I am
determined to change by his grace and my faith in Jesus Christ his Son. May God bless America." ?
That is the question.
I think if we were to see that, then things would get rolling again in our economy. In my opinion that would be the start of a good economic package, and I
think the effects would be seen on
Wall street.
Those who support bills that encourage homosexuality have upon
ReplyDeletetheir heart, flesh that has not
come under the heavenly surgery of
our healer through Jesus Christ.
Circumcision of the heart is a painful but drawing condition that
promises a better life because of
Jesus. When God looks upon a circumcised heart, he sees one of
his own, one that has a bright future in his family.
That door is still open to all. The sword of the Lord cuts and is
able to heal us of all our scar tissue and make us new again for his purposes that endure forever.
Old things pass away and everthing
becomes new. The way we used to see things changes and we will never be the same.
So many oppose writing righteousness into the laws, yet they don't seem opposed to write sexual compulsion into the laws.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
Our society seems to be evolving towards protecting the rights of sin and unnatural acts-even immortalizing them vs. protecting what is right.
The other irony is that the gay lobby is pushing for gay marriage in California, yet, the acknowledge it will provide zero additional "rights". Why then do they want the word "marriage" attached to their relationship? Because that way they can force acceptance upon the greater populate.
Those who control the words, control the actions of the populace.