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Nancy J. Thorner

Same-sex marriage bill seeks a Valentine's Day vote



The Illinois Senate may take the first step down the aisle towards legalizing same-sex marriage on Valentine's Day according to Senate President John Cullerton at a meeting with the Sun-Times editorial board on Thursday, January 30.  http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2013/02/same-sex-marriage-bill-to-be-voted-on-valentines-day-in-illinois-senate.html

The debate over same-sex "marriage" has unfolded across America for the past several years. It's now heating up here in Illinois. In the minds of many who ascribe to Judeo-Christian values, marriage is an institution created by God. Government cannot redefine it. Marriage exists not only for the benefit of couples but also for the care of the next generation. As such the issue of same-sex marriage must be given urgent attention here in Illinois, in spite of Illinois's recent credit downgrade and its horrendous pension problem which seems insurmountable given that Democrats control policy here in Illinois.

It was just a little over a year ago when the Illinois created civil unions for those in same-sex relationships by passing the "Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act", forcing Catholic Charities out of foster care and adoption services in Illinois.

Strong forces including the Governor, Senate President, Speaker of the House and Mayor of Chicago are at work to move a same-sex "marriage" bill through the Illinois General Assembly.  President Obama has also gotten involved by asking legislators to pass a same-sex marriage bill.   http://chicagophoenix.com/2012/12/29/report-president-obama-asks-il...

The counterfeit "marriage" bill currently being proposed in the Illinois General Assembly (HB 110 and SB 110) would change the legal definition of marriage to accommodate those of the same sex who wish to "marry" one another and would likewise affect our children and our religious freedom.

The bill is disingenuously titled the "Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act."  Its chief sponsors, State Representative Gregg Harris (D-Chicago) and Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) vowed and did reintroduce the bill almost immediately upon the start of the new General Assembly and are on a fast track to introduce the bill in tandem. Time ran out for Harris and Steans to bring the bill up for a full vote during the 97th General Assembly's lame duck legislative session.  

Senator Steans hopes Illinois will become the tenth state to approve the recognition of gay and lesbian marriages.  Nine state and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex marriages.  Washington, Maine and Maryland approved same-sex marriage ballot measures in the November elections.  http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/01/lawmakers-to-reintroduce-Illinoi...  

Herein lies three very obvious reasons why same-sex marriage must be defeated:

1.  Same-sex couples already enjoy all the same rights and benefits as married couples in Illinois under the civil unions law of 2011.

2.  Children need both a mom and a dad.  Marriage exists for the benefit of children.  Social science research and thousands of years of history show that children do best when raised by their married mom and dad.

3.  There will be significant consequences if marriage is redefined in Illinois.  In other states that have redefined marriage, there have been profound consequences for those who express or act on their belief that marriage is the union between one man and one woman.  

The following comes from a January 6th story written by Cardinal George in the Chicago archdiocese paper, "Catholic New World":  http://cal-catholic.com/wordpress/2013/01/21/cardinal-george-illino...  

"The nature of marriage is not a religious question.  Marriage comes to us from nature." . . . "The State protects marriage because it is essential to family and to the common good of society.  But neither church nor State invented marriage, and neither can change its nature.  Nature and Nature's God, to use the expression in the Declaration of Independence of our country, gives the human species two mutually complementary sexes, able to transmit life through what the law has hitherto recognized as a marital union."  

As with many bills, often what is hidden within the language of the bill does not become evident to the public (and legislators) until after the law is passed, i.e., Obamacare.  Language in the proposed marriage bill would require that all churches make their property available for same-sex "marriages" even if it is in violation of a church's religious beliefs.  Language states that if a church allows facility rentals or receives "a public benefit" it must make its facility available for a same-sex "marriage" or the celebration thereof or be open to a lawsuit.  Understood is that every church has a tax exempt status and/or is allowed a "property tax exemption" under Illinois law, which is a "public benefit."  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=110&GAID=...

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI), executive director David E. Smith, is sponsoring a Defend Marriage Lobby Day on Wednesday, February 20th from 10:30 AM - 1:30 AM. when Illinois families from around the state will take a stand "for protecting marriage, religious freedom, parental rights, and the innocence of our children!"  Suggested by David Smith is that churches organize to support this lobbying day to defend marriage.  Check this website for more information about the IFI-sponsored Defend Marriage Lobby Day.  A downloadable flyer is also available for distribution. http://illinoisfamily.org/politics/defend-marriage-lobby-day-feb-20th/

If you are unable to join the IFI in its Defend Marriage Lobby Day where legislators can be addressed in person, it is important to call your Illinois senate and house representatives to vote 'NO' to HB 110 and SB 110.  

Stephanie Victor

8:33 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013

another contrived point of view disregarding human nature

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Steve S.

10:54 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013

This woman is an old, unhappy woman, who is fighting with her sexuality. She is obviously homosexual and wants to fight the feelings because her priest told her it was wrong even though he feels the same way. Come out of the closet Nancy, it will give you a new look on life, love, family, acceptance, and tolerance. Nancy is a gay woman, there , I outed you.

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Alexandra

11:40 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013

Your the sicko, trying to make society go to your way of thinking. We know whom you voted for and you will pay the price in the coming years, Kudo's to Hobby Lobby, Walmart etc. Congratulations NANCY.....

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Albert Boese

11:55 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013

Surely, you can muster up a more articulate position in legitimate opposition to the opinions of a fine woman who is both a gifted writer and painstaking researcher. I doubt you have, even the slightest knowledge of her orientation, age or disposition. Until you do, why not offer a more civilized rebuttal to the opinions of Mrs. Thorner.

Al Boese

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Steve S.

12:04 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013

Al, I do know her age by looking at her picture and reading her bio which obviously you haven't done. She does NOT do painstaking research of any kind, rather she cuts and pastes these articles from other publications. Her blog is really offensive to so many people and if you can't see that, you too need to join us in this century. Alexandra: You wrote exactly what nancy is trying to do, you are an idiot. You don't know who I voted for. She is telling people how to vote and think, I never did that, nor will I ever. Enjoy your day at Walmart.

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Carl Lambrecht

6:37 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013

The Highland Park library has a book called "The Hidden Hitler" on this subject. Another book which the library has gotten for me called "The Pink Swatika".
Parents & Friends of ExGays and Gays- www.pfox.org is a good group.

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Mike Dees

3:47 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

Carl Lambrecht - Ah yes, "The Pink Swastika"... a book discredited by just about every respectable Historian. The author, Scott Lively, also embroiled in the Ugandan "Kill the Gays" bill scandal. Im not sure what falsely connecting homosexuals to Hitlers army does for your point of view. You do realize that the overwhelming majority of Nazis were white, heterosexual males don't you?

Anyways, for those interested check out the Southern Poverty Law Centers website (www.splcenter.org) for some information on the author of the above mentioned book as well as on those folks at old pfox.org.

There you have it, Fair & Balanced.

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Carl Lambrecht

5:55 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013

Do not forget to read "The Hidden Hitler". Regarding "Pink Swastika". Only a University has this book in our area. Scott Lively spoke in our area in a local private school. The school had radical threats and broken glass windows. Just like in the Nazi time. Police to date have not found the terrorists. Just like in the Nazi time.

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Steve S.

8:13 am on Saturday, February 9, 2013

No one has done more to orchestrate this situation than Scott Lively. Since 2002, he has worked systematically to strip away human rights protections from LGBT people in Uganda and elsewhere around the world, to silence them and make it impossible for them to organize and defend their rights. While he peddles the usual, age-old lie that LGBT people are pedophiles in order to deliberately provoke the rage that feeds the growing repression and violence, he combines that myth with a new twist, that gays were also responsible for the Holocaust and that Hitler’s Germany is what can happen when a gay movement grows unchecked.

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Steve S.

7:58 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Hey Carl, Stop the hatred, the gays won't hurt you. Whether Nazi's were gay or not, doesn't matter, the object was to kill Jews and everyone else who didn't agree with them, don't steer the conversation of Nazi's away from the reality of history. Add this to your reading list: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/09/my-take-a-word-to-christians-be-nice/?hpt=hp_c3

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Carl Lambrecht

9:25 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Steve! My best friend in Warsaw is homosexual. I do not hate him. I respect him. Read the Hidden Hitler. Scott Lively does not hate homosexuals. In fact in the early days of the AIDs epidemic. He took care of one homosexual in his home and helped him until he died. Please do not use the word hate. What the Nazi were does matter.

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Steve S.

9:33 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Carl! You do not respect your friend. How does he feel about you thinking he can become an ex-gay? Does he think that you are correct? and if so why haven't you cured him yet? Your previous post about your best gay friend also said you didn't know if he was alive or dead, what kind of a friend is that? When the Nazi's, gay or straight were killing Jews, gays, handicapped, among the millions, the VICTIMS of the HOLOCAUST didn't care whether the killers were gay or straight, they were all killers and remain to this day. Don't disrepect the dead sir.

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Steve S.

9:50 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Carl, I suppose this was the fault of the gay nazi's as well:
In 1991, Lively assaulted Catherine Stauffer, throwing her against a wall and dragging her across the floor of a Portland church, at an Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) event she had been trying to film.[16] Stauffer received a judgment of over $31,000 against Lively and the OCA in 1992.[17][18]

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Carl Lambrecht

9:50 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Aids is a terrible death. Thousands of Homosexuals have changed. Nothing special in this. Sorry to date there is no cure for AIDS. Radical Atheists killed over 100 million in the last century. Yes old people under Government medical care receive less care then young people. No different from the Nazi time.

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Steve S.

9:52 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Carl, so do you think we should be focusing history on not the millions of people brutally murdered and instead feel bad for the Nazi's because they were overtaken by homosexuals, are you saying that the Nazi party is the victim here? Just curious.

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Steve S.

10:00 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Carl:
The Southern Poverty Law Center regards Abiding Truth Ministries as a hate group.

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Steve S.

10:46 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Carl: Please don't be fooled any longer by this guy, he has really messed up your head and it's scaring people. http://canyonwalkerconnections.com/on-scott-lively-of-the-kill-the-gays-bill-infame/

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Steve S.

10:49 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Carl, I did not write this, but find it very enlightening:
I do not know what it will take to bring an epiphany to Scott Lively. He holds Law over grace, judgment over mercy. These are basis revelation of God issues that are personal to each of us. Saul in the Bible was the same way; he terrorized the new Jesus followers. He knew he was right; he used the Law to prove he was right; he was responsible for deaths. And then, Jesus blinded him (because he could not see anyway) and spoke to him. Saul became Paul.

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Steve S.

10:51 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

Written to Scott Lively, Carl's hero: Scott, I know you have some humanity inside you; I see pieces of it in our exchanges. But, Scott, God never asked you to defend His Word to the point of the death of others. The hatred that comes at you is not “suffering for Jesus” hatred. It has been earned. You say you want me to chastise those that mistreat you. Well, the bulk of the people that write/speak/campaign against you are people that you say cannot be in this Jesus-club. You don’t want them/think they can join this club, yet, you want them to follow the rules. Well, that just seems silly.

ad astra

9:37 am on Sunday, February 3, 2013

Nancy your commitment to unsubstantiated claims remains untarnished. Please could you cite the 'profound consequences' that other states have experienced?
And yes, I do agree that we should let a bunch of celebate, child molesting men decide on the state of marriage. They were so thoughtful and responsible when their ranks were raping children. I would definitely take heed to all of their advisement.

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Mike Dees

3:22 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013

This bill is as good as passed with Democratic supermajorities in both the Senate and House and a Democratic Governor. Even Republicans are anxious to just see this bill passed and done with http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/miller/17809652-452/illinois-gop-wants-gay-marriage-bill-passed-asap.html.

As for the "religious liberties" garbage... give it a rest. It's just an empty rallying cry at this point to drum up funds for the already decided battle of marriage equality. Move on to the next target.

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