Marriage – Page 22 – Family Council

The Standard

The following is by Family Council team member Charisse Dean.

Have you ever tried to draw a straight line on a blank piece of paper without a guide like a ruler? The inevitable result is always a crooked line. No matter how many times you try and no matter how steady you hold the pencil, even if by the naked eye it seems to be straight, when held to a true and straight standard, it will never be quite right.

Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines a standard as “something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example.” The Word of God provides a guide for everything that concerns us from our personal lives and family to our society and government.

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Come to a Rally for Traditional Marriage on November 19!

Nov 12, 2014Jerry1 CommentMarriageJudicial Activism, Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage

capitol3-1 Are you ready to make your voice heard to the Arkansas Supreme Court about the sanctity of marriage?

Are you tired of judges running roughshod over the will of Arkansas’ voters?

If you are, then I want to invite you to an important rally on the Capitol Steps in Little Rock one week from today.

On Wednesday, November 19, at 11:00 AM Arkansans will rally in support of traditional marriage. This is an opportunity for everyone—especially ministers—to make their voices heard in saying marriage in Arkansas should remain the union of one man and one woman.

Last May, Judge Chris Piazza struck down the state’s laws defining marriage. His decision was appealed, and the case now rests in the hands of the Arkansas Supreme Court. Next week, the court will hear oral arguments on the case, and they will decide who gets to define marriage: The People or one judge in Little Rock. This rally is your opportunity to take a stand for marriage.

I hope you will make plans to join us next week. For additional details and to pre-register for free for the rally, please go to www.HonorOurVoteAR.com. And be sure to forward this message to the ministers at your church and your friends so they can join us as well.

The rally will take place on the Capitol Steps in downtown Little Rock at 11:00 AM Wednesday, November 19. If you need directions or would like additional information, please contact our office at (501) 375-7000.

I hope to see you there!

Poll Shows Support for Same-Sex Marriage Dropping in Arkansas?

Oct 31, 2014JerryMarriageMarriage, Same-Sex Marriage

The 2014 Arkansas Poll was released yesterday with some interesting statistics. While many are focusing on the poll’s findings concerning candidates and political leaders, the poll’s survey questions regarding same-sex marriage are striking.

Comparing this year’s Arkansas Poll with last year’s, support for same-sex marriage in Arkansas appears to have dropped by 2%.

In 2013:

23% of respondents said same-sex marriage ought to be legal.
21% said gay couples should be able to form civil unions, but not marry.
46% said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship.
9% said they do not know or otherwise refused to answer the question.

This year:

21% of respondents said same-sex marriage ought to be legal (a 2% decrease over 2013).
21% said gay couples should be able to form civil unions, but not marry (no change over 2013).
48% said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship (a 2% increase over 2013).
10% said they do not know or otherwise refused to answer the question(a 1% increase over 2013).

Now, before we say public opinion clearly is shifting against same-sex marriage in Arkansas, it’s important to note that the change is within the poll’s margin of error (3.6%). Statistically speaking, this demonstrates that attitudes on marriage in Arkansas remain where they were a year ago: The vast majority of Arkansans still oppose same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, it’s worth pointing out this is the first time the Arkansas Poll has recorded a decrease in support for same-sex marriage since 2005.

What is also interesting to note is how support for same-sex civil unions in Arkansas has dropped over the years. In 2007, 27% of Arkansans favored civil unions. Today only about 21% support them.

It’s also worth pointing out the Human Rights Campaign is spending, on average, about $1 million annually in Arkansas this year and over the next 2-3 years in an effort to change Arkansans’ opinions on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. So far, however, opinions appear unmoved–if not sliding in favor of traditional marriage.