The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-04/20/2006 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Massachusetts 2nd-grade teacher reads class 'gay marriage' book; administrator backs her by Michael Foust Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday LEXINGTON, Mass. (BP)--A Massachusetts second-grade teacher is being criticized for reading a book about "gay marriage" to her students, and conservatives say it is an example of what happens when a state redefines one of society's most important institutions. The teacher at Joseph Estabrook Elementary School in Lexington, Mass., read to her class "King & King" -- a colorful 29-page children's book in which a prince searches for a wife, only in the end to choose another prince. The story ends with the two princes "marrying" and living "happily ever after." On the last page, the princes -- now kings -- even share a kiss. Massachusetts remains the only state with legalized "gay marriage." The school superintendent is standing behind the teacher, saying the book is another way to teach the children diversity. "We couldn't run a public school system if every parent who feels some topic is objectionable to them for moral or religious reasons decides their child should be removed," Lexington Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash told The Boston Globe. "Lexington is committed to teaching children about the world they live in, and in Massachusetts same-sex marriage is legal." But some parents are outraged. "My son is only 7 years old," Lexington parent Robin Wirthlin told the newspaper. "By presenting this kind of issue at such a young age, they're trying to indoctrinate our children. They're intentionally presenting this as a norm, and it's not a value that our family supports." Joseph Estabrook School has about 450 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Kris Mineau, president of the conservative Massachusetts Family Institute, said the incident should serve as a wake-up call to those who are indifferent to "gay marriage" and believe it won't affect society. "We have always maintained that the very first level of impact would be in the public school system, where children would be taught morals that are counter to the morals that parents want them to be taught," he told Baptist Press. "Taxpayer money should never be used to put children at odds with their parents. "If I have children in my family, same-sex marriage immediately affects me." Mineau said he has "some anecdotal evidence" that other Massachusetts schools are teaching children about "gay marriage," although the Lexington school, he said, has been at the top of the list. Early last year the same school was the source of another controversy after giving kindergarten students a "diversity book bag" that included a children's book titled "Who's In a Family," which features illustrations of homosexual parents. "There is no doubt that the Lexington school officials have an agenda, and that agenda is to indoctrinate children into homosexuality and same-sex marriage," said Mineau, who is leading an effort to amend the state constitution and reverse the state's "gay marriage" law. "Needless to say, parents in Lexington are aroused over this issue, and they should be." One conservative Massachusetts organization, the Parents Right Coalition, is fighting for a state bill that would allow parents to opt their children out of discussions over homosexuality. --30-- For more information about the national debate over "gay marriage," visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage -------------------------------------------------------------------- MARRIAGE DIGEST: Al Gore affirms 'gay love,' now 'gay marriage'?; Canadian court sides with religious freedom by Michael Foust Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday LOS ANGELES (BP)--Former Vice President Al Gore delivered the keynote speech at a homosexual group's dinner in late March, and while he didn't directly mention "gay marriage," he implied that he supported its eventual legalization. Gore spoke March 25 at a gala dinner in Los Angeles for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest homosexual activist organization. HRC supports "gay marriage." Saying there are "many kinds of love," Gore referenced the "gay marriage" ceremonies performed at San Francisco in early 2004, and then said, according to a transcript: "[S]ome reacted with hatred and anger. What I saw that was just overwhelming was the love, the joy, the purity of the excitement that that love was being honored. "It is that love, after all, that is at the heart of why everybody is here. That is what must be honored and respected. Your right to fall in love with who you fall in love with. And your right to expect that that will be recognized with the same dignity and honor that love is recognized for other couples." A transcript of Gore's speech was posted on IN Los Angeles Magazine's website. The California Supreme Court eventually invalidated the San Francisco "marriages." "You must have the right to be who you are, just as I have the right to be who I am," Gore told the audience. "As I was on the way here, I reflected on why is there so much controversy about the question of equality for gays and lesbians. Why? This fight has been so long and so hard for something that is so simple and so right." Gore then said that Americans in the future will view the current debate over homosexuality in bewilderment. The nation will evolve, he added. "[A] future generation will look back and truly wonder how this could have happened [this controversy], just as we look back and wonder how some of the strange practices that embody such horrific injustice in ages past but never have been tolerated -- they will look back at this period of time and feel puzzled and they will see and understand that the vision that has brought all of us here inspires a passionate devotion to justice and necessary change and the feeling of camaraderie among us all," he said. "... You know that what you are engaged in is the furtherance of a vision that is true and just and it does require the evolution of consciousness along a pathway that is a logical extension of what the United States of America has always promised to humankind. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. And the United States of America will, at some point say, 'What you are asking is what you shall receive.'" When running for president in 2000 Gore said he opposed "gay marriage" but supported Vermont-style civil unions. He also stated his support for the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law signed by President Clinton that prevents the federal government from recognizing "gay marriage" and gives states the option of doing the same. But since leaving office, Gore has been more outspoken about his views, some of which are more liberal than the ones he espoused in 2000. In addition, since the 2000 election "gay marriage" supporters have made significant progress in the U.S. and worldwide. Massachusetts began recognizing "gay marriage" in 2004, and Canada legalized it in 2005. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WIN IN CANADA -- In a victory for religious freedom, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal unanimously ruled April 13 that a Canadian man did not violate the law when he purchased a newspaper ad that included Bible verses condemning homosexuality. The decision overturned rulings by lower courts, which had said the man, Hugh Owens, broke the law. The advertisement at the center of the controversy was printed in 1997 in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. It listed Bible verses from Romans, Leviticus and 1 Corinthians on one side, an "=" sign in the middle and two stick men holding hands on the other side. A circle with a slash across it covered the stick figures. Previously, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission ruled that the ad violated the provincial human rights code, and it ordered Owens to pay $1,500 each to three homosexuals who had filed a complaint. The code prohibits the publication of statements that "ridicule, belittle or otherwise affront the dignity of" people based on their "sexual orientation." In his opinion, Saskatchewan Court of Appeal Justice Richards wrote that while the advertisement was "bluntly presented and doubtless upsetting to many, the essential message conveyed ... is not one which involves the ardent emotions and strong sense of detestation, calumny and vilification required." Christian conservatives in Canada praised the decision. “This is a clear victory for Christians who have in recent years been marginalized in speaking out publicly on issues of morality and Christian family values and beliefs," Ruth Ross, executive director of the Christian Legal Fellowship in Canada, said in a statement. “What this decision confirms is that passages contained in the Holy Bible, the foundation of our faith, cannot and should not in themselves be deemed hate literature.” AMENDMENT PICKS UP VOTES -- The federal Marriage Protection Amendment picked up four additional votes in the 2004 election and likely will get at least 52 votes this summer, The Hill newspaper reported April 12. While that still is short of the 67 votes needed to pass a constitutional amendment, it provides something of a psychological victory for conservatives. In 2004, the amendment received only 48 votes on a procedural vote. Freshmen Republican Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.), Mel Martinez (Fla.), John Thune (S.D.) and David Vitter (La.) all are co-sponsors of the amendment, which would protect the natural definition of marriage and prevent courts from legalizing "gay marriage." Constitutional amendments require the passage of two-thirds of the House and Senate and three-quarters of the states. The amendment is S.J. Res. 1. --30-- For more information about the national debate over "gay marriage," visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage -------------------------------------------------------------------- ERLC, Focus ask SBC pastors to promote marriage amend. by Tom Strode Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy entity and the advocacy offshoot of a well-known pro-family organization have collaborated to urge pastors to promote support for a federal amendment to protect marriage. In a letter to all of the 43,600-plus Southern Baptist churches, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Focus on the Family Action asked pastors to help in seeking passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment, S.J. Res. 1. The letter was sent as the Senate moves toward what is expected to be a vote on the proposal in early June. The amendment, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman, is intended to protect the institution against continuing legal efforts to sanction “homosexual marriage.” So far, only Massachusetts has legalized “same-sex marriage,” but supreme courts in New Jersey, New York and Washington could legitimize such unions before the end of 2006, according to a recent analysis by the Senate Republican Policy Committee. In their letter, ERLC President Richard Land and FOFA chairman James Dobson told Southern Baptist pastors their assistance is needed to protect the family. Land and Dobson, two of the leaders in the campaign to enact a marriage amendment, urged them to “involve your congregation ... in the battle to preserve the biblical definition of marriage in the face” of attacks from “radical liberal groups and homosexual activists.” Many senators have not announced their positions on the amendment, Land and Dobson said. “Your involvement will help ensure that each senator receives tangible evidence” of his constituents’ support for protecting marriage, they wrote the pastors. Their goal is to surpass a million postcards sent to senators’ state offices, Land and Dobson said. The mailing, which was sent April 12, included sample postcards. Pastors also are encouraged to order sheets of postcards without charge for members of their congregations to use. In addition, Land and Dobson asked pastors to mention the effort from the pulpit, “if God should lead you to do so.” Focus on the Family Action paid for, printed and mailed the materials that were sent to SBC churches. FOFA is legally separate from Focus on the Family, the pro-life radio program and ministry Dobson started in 1977. The proposed amendment says, “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.” In 2004, the Senate failed to provide an up-or-down vote to a similar amendment. Supporters gained only 48 of the 60 votes needed to halt debate and allow a vote -- a procedure called invoking cloture. Fifty senators voted against cloture, thereby blocking a vote. It appears supporters of the amendment will have at least a few more votes this year. The House of Representatives achieved a majority on a similar amendment in 2004, but the 227-186 vote fell far short of the required two-thirds majority, or 290 votes, needed for passage. Ratification of an amendment to the federal constitution requires not only passage by two-thirds of both houses of Congress but approval by three-fourths of the states. --30-- For more information about the national debate over "gay marriage," visit http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage -------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘All it can do is hurt people,’ wife says of expanded gambling by Erin Roach Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday PIKEVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Suzi Flanagan Wright’s husband liked to gamble every now and then and, early on, she’d gamble with him and use the winnings to help pay off her student loan. They regarded it as no big deal -- they were just among the millions of Americans who gamble as a hobby. But then things changed, leaving Suzi to deal with raising a child while her husband went to prison for embezzlement. She also faced large gambling debts and the ongoing challenge of loving an addicted gambler. Her struggle began innocently enough. “One time I had left him at home and gone to Lexington to pick up his sister, and I had only left him with enough money to buy stuff for Thanksgiving dinner,” Wright, a member of First Baptist Church in Pikeville, Ky., said. “And I told him, ‘I’m just leaving you with enough money. Don’t you dare buy any lottery tickets.’” Soon after she returned from the 280-mile round trip, Wright’s husband revealed that he had won $10,000 on a $2 lottery ticket, “and that got him hooked,” she said. The momentum of those earnings propelled him to more frequent gambling at higher stakes, including trips to off-track betting parlors as far away as Charleston, W.Va. The temptation grew worse when a betting parlor, where numerous television screens allow gamblers to bet on various horse races from a central location, opened in Prestonsburg, Ky. Wright said when the closest gambling source was in Charleston, her husband would not go as often. But when one opened about 25 miles from where he lived, the temptation was too great. Now, with two bills before the Kentucky legislature for the expansion of gambling, Wright fears the temptation to gamble will hit a little too close to home for more Kentucky families like hers. “It’s very, very hard when you have a gambling addiction to not go. It’s like if you were a diabetic and you couldn’t have ice cream and you moved right beside Baskin-Robbins,” Wright said. “The only Baskin-Robbins we’ve got right now is in Lexington, but every time I go to Lexington I go to Baskin-Robbins. If I had one in town, I’d eat there every day.” Wright said that her husband realized he needed to stop gambling and visited a psychiatrist who prescribed a heavy dose of Prozac. For him, the drug only made the gambling worse. “It went to the point where he started taking money at work,” Wright said. “He opened credit cards in my name and ran up balances. He would write checks on me. He would do anything he could to get his money, and then he embezzled money from work and that wound him up in jail.” Wright’s husband spent 20 months in prison when their son was just over 2 years old, and he missed many crucial moments in the child’s early life, she said. During her husband’s incarceration, Wright and her son became very involved in First Baptist Church in Pikeville. The family has found comfort and support through the church -- support they continue to draw on. Although the prison sentence got Wright’s husband’s attention, it wasn’t enough to stop the gambling. “It’s a hard habit to break. He would be the first to tell you. Even coming out of jail, it was hard not to gamble,” Wright said. To make matters worse during her husband’s recovery, another off-track betting parlor opened in Pikeville. That means the temptation to gamble now is nearly at his doorstep, Wright said. Gambling has wrought damage on her family that may never be repaired, Wright said, and sometimes she lives moment to moment just trying to trust her husband not to bring on more debt. “It’s just been a big mess. It’s been seven years, and I really don’t think I’m any better off,” she said. “... I’m still paying on everything because I had to mortgage my home, I had to pay off all of those credit cards, I’ve got five and six and seven years left on bills. “What makes me so mad is it takes away from my child,” she said. “I make really good money, but you’d never know I had a dime because I have to pay it all out. [My husband] isn’t working. Nobody will hire him and it’s just a mess. And [my son] doesn’t understand. How do you explain it to a child?” But through it all, she hasn’t left her husband because she realizes that gambling has had control of him rather than him controlling it. “Gambling is an illness. It’s a sickness. It’s no different than cancer,” she said. “[My husband] and I both have diabetes, which is an illness. All of these things happen. How would you like to go through something like that being that sick, and your spouse walk off just because they don’t want to deal with it?” Despite claims by gambling supporters, Wright has seen firsthand that it doesn’t benefit schools. In addition to working fulltime, she volunteers often at her son’s elementary school because the school system can’t afford to hire people to help them, she said. “I don’t see expanded gambling helping anything at all. I think all it can do is hurt people,” Wright said. “... It will absolutely ruin more lives than it will help. I’m here to tell you that.” --30-- For more facts related to the impact of gambling on families and for tips on how to oppose efforts to expand gambling, go to http://www.kybaptist.org/publicaffairs. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite arson, church has new vision for reaching community by Grace Thornton Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday BRIERFIELD, Ala. (BP)--A clearing in the woods has replaced Ashby Baptist Church’s 87-year-old white frame structure in rural Alabama. With the ashes and debris from its sanctuary and educational space cleared off the site, Ashby Baptist’s long-range plans also have been cleared for a new beginning after it was among nine Alabama churches hit in the spate of arsons in early February. But, pastor Jim Parker said, a blank slate is not necessarily a bad thing for the church site a quarter mile off Highway 139 at Brierfield. In fact, it’s a challenge church members are getting more excited about all the time. “For a lot of the folks here, losing their church building is like losing an old friend or friend of the family. You process it like you do death,” Parker said. “But as the healing process has gone on, the people are getting ready to move forward. And there are so many options on where to go from here.” A wide spectrum of vision casting already has begun in Brierfield, a small community nestled in the top easternmost corner of Bibb County. The area has been catching some of neighboring Shelby County’s population shift, so the church’s new direction includes adjusting to reach more of those people, said Gary Swafford, director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions’ office of associational missions and church planting. “In building their new church, they are talking about re-dreaming their dream and adopting a new vision to go with the new building, which is a good idea,” Swafford said. When representatives from the State Board of Missions visited the first five damaged churches just after the fires to offer monetary and prayer support, Swafford was in the background, offering demographic studies and church-building guidance for whenever the churches felt they were ready to start rebuilding. Ashby Baptist quickly took him up on his offer. “We got the demographic study done,” Parker said, “and we used the projections to go ahead and extrapolate a number we believe we will have in each age group.” Currently, nearly all 150 church members will attend worship at some point during the month, averaging out at about 90 in attendance for each Sunday’s morning service. The new building is being planned for 300, and the congregation is considering moving from its current site in the woods to a more visible lot on the highway, Parker said. “We figure that based on the demographic projections, in the next three to five years, we’ll double,” he said. “We trust the Lord on that. We have seen a lot of growth even in just the last six months, and we believe He wants us to grow.” Before the fire, the congregation already had been weighing the decision of whether to relocate or add on to their current facilities. “The Lord answered that question for us,” church member Debbie Crocker said with a laugh. “There have been trials but we are making the best of it, and it is turning out to be a good thing.” Swafford said church members seem thrilled about being able to plan their new facilities specifically toward reaching the new people moving into the area. “This established church is wanting to take a different, inclusive, intentional stance to incorporate new people into their congregation,” Swafford said. “And yes, now is definitely the perfect time to do it.” The next step may be canvassing the neighborhoods for more studies or working on the drawings for the new facilities, Parker said. The church has had offers of free architect services, part of an outpouring of help and donations from people all across the state and nation that Parker said he never would have expected. “I never would have imagined it would be this way. So many people have poured out so much,” the pastor said. And the mobile chapels the church is using on loan from the Alabama missions board have been an incredible icing on the cake of instance after instance of help the church has received, Parker added. “We are so grateful to our Baptist brothers and sisters — they have taken such good care of us.” The church had its first service back on its site in the chapels March 12. It was so well attended by both members and media that they barely squeezed everyone in, Parker said. “Everyone was just so excited to be back -— the spirit was great.” --30— Grace Thornton is assistant editor of The Alabama Baptist, online at www.thealabamabaptist.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Gals want rematch with guys after church’s 1st Lottie Moon offering by Mike Schueler Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday MONTPELIER, Ind. (BP)—Guys versus gals -– it sounds childish at first, but not when there’s a free meal on the line. That’s exactly what pastor Darrin Morgan was counting on when he proposed an unusual contest for the first-ever Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at First Baptist Church in Montpelier, Ind. “We took a couple of large, gallon-size pickle jars and marked one for men and one for women,” Morgan said. Every penny the congregation put in their team’s jar earned them a point. But there was a twist: Points were subtracted for every silver coin. That meant the teams could sabotage each other’s progress by dropping every nickel, dime and quarter they could find into their opponent’s jar. The team with the fewest points would be required to cook breakfast and serve it to the winners. “The competition got a lot more people involved than normally would have,” Morgan said. “It got them excited about something they didn’t know a lot about.” Though many Southern Baptist churches already support the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the concept is new for this Indiana congregation, with an average Sunday attendance of 93. The church joined the Southern Baptist Convention just over a year ago. For First Baptist’s members to begin participating in Southern Baptist life “is unique for them in the sense that they have to learn about it,” Morgan said. “We’re trying to do everything we can to inform people about the way Southern Baptists do missions. We’ve always been a giving church.” As the weeks went by, First Baptist’s pickle jars began to bulge as members deposited more and more pennies into the jars. That’s when pastor Morgan decided it was time to coach the men on a power-play to elbow out the women. “I said, ‘Look, guys, let’s think about this in terms of Ebay,’” Morgan said. “How is it that you win a bid? You come in at the last moment.” On the final day of the offering, Andy Wagner, a member of the men’s team, dropped a bomb on the ladies in the form of a $50 brick of pennies. When the dust had settled and all the coins were counted, the men emerged victorious, but just barely -– edging out the women by $1.10. “Everybody had a lot of fun with it,” Wagner said. In the end, First Baptist gave more than $400 for its inaugural Lottie Moon offering, a figure that made the pastor proud. “When we get the totals on the actual amount raised [nationwide], I can say, ‘You were a part of that,’” Morgan said. “And they can get excited that they participated in something on a much larger scale than they could have ever done alone.” Amy Pontius, a member of the women’s team, reflected, “Sometimes here in the United States we get preoccupied with our little chunk of the world. I think having a heart for missions is so important because it’s necessary to spread the Gospel. I’m very impressed with how well Southern Baptists support their missionaries and equip them to go out and do their work. “As Christians God may not call us to go, but He’s called us to provide for the people that do,” Pontius said. As for next year’s Lottie Moon offering, First Baptist plans to do the contest again. “Besides, the ladies want a second chance,” Morgan said. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Women at Daybreak ‘come away’ to ‘be set free’ for God by Jenny Rice Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday SEATTLE (BP)--The young redhead crawled out of an old Jeep Cherokee with a backpack on her shoulder and a Bible in her hand. “I am in need of a God break,” she said as she walked into the Seattle-area church. Tiffanie Maney, a student at Moody Bible Institute’s Spokane, Wash., satellite location, needed time away from responsibilities at school, home and ministry, driving more than three hours to a DayBreak event sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources held at Overlake Christian Church. DayBreak events are designed for young women between the ages of 20-35. With a shortened schedule tailored for today’s woman on the go, this DayBreak gathering featured biblical teaching from Priscilla Shirer and Angela Thomas and worship led by Kelly Minter in a relaxed setting. Women of all ages and walks of life -- students, singles, marrieds -- joined together for worship and a time of renewal. DayBreak participants began the afternoon with a season of prayer followed by breakout sessions to interact with the speakers. A late afternoon panel discussion provided a concluding opportunity for participants to ask specific questions of the speakers about life and ministry. Women’s ministry speaker Priscilla Shirer, author of “He Speaks to Me: Preparing to Hear from God,” told of the challenge she received from God concerning the words in Matthew 11: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” To come to God, you have to come away from something, Shirer said. Based on her study of the entire chapter of Matthew 11, Shirer challenged the DayBreak participants to come away from being tangled in the temporary; from dabbling in doubt; from being caught up in customs; and from gambling with God’s grace. Worship leader and author Kelly Minter challenged participants to “come away” from modern-day idols in her breakout session, defining an idol as “anything that you look to find life in.” Fear and lies attach people to idols, whether self-sufficiency, relationships, achievement, appearance or approval, Minter said. “People are in pain, so they run to idols,” she said. “They experience loss and think their false god will fill them. They are burdened and think they will find relief in their idol. “The Lord has been setting me free because He is where I will find life,” Minter noted. Angela Thomas, author of “Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering,” shared how God had set her free from being a “wallflower.” Striving to be the “perfect Jesus girl,” Thomas eventually came to a breaking point when she cried out to God, “Do you think I’m beautiful? Is there anything about me that is pleasing to You?” Since that prayer, Thomas has learned that “when God is in the room, all the wallflowers get to dance. He looks into your eyes and sees the woman He dreamed of when He made you. He says to you, ‘I didn’t bring you here to stand around and watch. I made you to enter in. Let’s dance.’” Reacting to Thomas’ comment that some women feel they are “too tired to dance,” DayBreak attendee Tiffanie Maney understood. After becoming a Christian at the age of 5, Maney spent much of her youth living a fast life. “I used to be rebellious against God,” she said. “Now I am a rebel for God.” Maney said she needed time alone with God away from daily responsibilities and had found the rest she needed at the DayBreak event. “I have so much going on that I have to take weekends like this,” she said. “This event was quick enough to [allow for] other things but also a refresher and a good reminder to continue the battle.” --30-- Additional DayBreak events planned for 2006 include April 22 in Baltimore; June 3 in Decatur, Ala.; Aug. 5 in Denver; Aug. 19 in Austin, Texas; and Nov. 18 in Little Rock, Ark. For more information, visit www.lifeway.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Getting ready for a vote on marriage by Penna Dexter Date: April 20, 2006 - Thursday DALLAS (BP)--A pre-Easter column in The Washington Post quotes an announcement from First Lady Laura Bush’s office: “Mrs. Bush wants to make sure all families are welcome to attend the Easter Egg Roll.” The event, complete with petting zoos, staff members dressed as bunnies, and 14,200 Easter eggs, is sometimes marked by a brief visit from the president and a story read by the first lady. The Post described a new dimension to the event this year, a political aspect to the 128-year-old Washington ritual. Back in January, the White House began fielding questions about a planned mobilization of families headed by same-sex couples aimed at staging a significant homosexual presence at the White House celebration. One organizer, New York University Professor Colleen Gillespie, said she, her partner and their daughter, Ella, participated to dispel criticism of homosexual parenthood and to provide “a visual picture of what that family looks like.” United States senators undoubtedly will be reminded of these festivities when they consider, for the second time, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirming the definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has promised a floor debate on the measure in early June. The House probably will vote on the amendment in late July. It’s a tall order to amend the constitution. For starters, it takes a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress. Sadly, marriage is not expected to garner anywhere near that much support this summer. Two years ago, by a vote of 48-50, the Senate failed to invoke cloture, which means the bill never even made it to the floor for a vote. The House rejected the amendment, with 227 voting for it and 186 against it. (Remember, you need two-thirds to win.) The marriage amendment will attract a few more votes this time -- the current count is 52 in the Senate. That’s disappointing when you consider that polls consistently show American citizens reject the idea of "same-sex marriage." But members of Congress get away with voting against the Marriage Protection Amendment by arguing that marriage is not threatened simply because some homosexual groups want it. After all, they say, there’s a federal Defense of Marriage Act and the vast majority of the states have laws and/or constitutional amendments defining marriage according to traditional norms. But it’s becoming clear that another layer of protection is necessary. Americans support traditional marriage. The conflict arises because homosexual advocates have managed to equate the quest for "gay marriage" with a struggle for equality in the eyes of the law. Lacking the will to make a moral judgment regarding the behavior that defines homosexuals, the Democratic Party has become the home for their agenda. The votes in both houses of Congress this year will be strictly political, an effort to energize the bases of both parties in anticipation of the November elections. Yet marriage is a political winner. In 2002 and 2004 Democrats learned the hard way that the pro-life position is a winning one. Does the lesson apply to marriage in 2006? It just might. Citizens across the nation understand -- often better than their political leaders -- that without constitutional protection, "same-sex marriage" eventually will be imposed on the entire nation. In March, the Senate Republican Policy Committee published a paper, entitled “Why a Marriage Amendment is Necessary,” to help senators understand the threat to marriage and to remove the barriers to a yes vote on the marriage protection amendment. The paper, available at http://rpc.senate.gov, answers some common questions and arguments: -- "Will a vote for the marriage amendment help me politically?" In most states the answer is yes. Even though polls show support for a federal Marriage Protection Amendment hovering at around 50 percent, actual support probably is higher. State marriage amendments have been wildly successful. The 19 states that have considered marriage amendments have passed them by an average vote of 71 percent. -- "We don’t need to amend the constitution because same-sex marriage is an anomaly that will be confined to liberal Massachusetts." Evidence to the contrary is mounting quickly. As of this writing, we await rulings from the top courts in Washington and New Jersey, either of which could become the second state joining Massachusetts in allowing "same-sex marriage." According to a March ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, non-residents are prohibited from marrying there if their unions would not be legal in their home states. Washington has no such law. If marriage becomes legal in that state, it will become a marriage mecca for homosexuals. They’ll return home and initiate court proceedings demanding recognition of their marriages. Money will be no problem. The ACLU and Lamda Legal (a prominent homosexual legal group) will be on hand with open pocketbooks. Other lawsuits are winding their way through the courts in California, Connecticut, Nebraska, Iowa, Maryland, and New York. Eventually, we’ll have a patchwork nation with states defining marriage different ways. -- "Let each state, even each church, define marriage." The problems with this approach would, and probably will, fill another column. The short answer is: That idea would result in legal chaos and the eventual destruction of marriage. Another question, of course is: Do you have your senators’ email addresses and phone number? --30-- Dexter is a board of trustee member with the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, a conservative activist and an announcer on the new syndicated radio program "Life on the Line" (information available at www.lifeontheline.com). She currently serves as a consultant for KMA Direct Communications in Plano, Texas, and as a producer for "Washington Watch Weekly," a broadcast of the Family Research Council. She formerly was a co-host of Marlin Maddoux's "Point of View" syndicated radio program.