Interesting Alert on “Civil Unions” from the Catholic Conference in Illinois

The following is a press release from the Catholic Conference of Illinois sent to us by one of our readers and that I also received in my inbox this morning. It gives us some good food for thought here in “BJS-land.” There are lots of issues here such as church/state relatons, Biblical morality, and others. We are interested in your comments. (Pastor Rossow)

SNEAK ATTACK! Illinois General Assembly Sneaks in Bill 1716 Mandating Recognition of Homosexuals and so-called “Civil Unions” — CALL YOUR STATE REP NOW!!
11/22/2010 9:30:00 PM

ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE SENATE BILL 1716 Civil Unions

Please call your state representative and state senator the week of November 22 and ask him or her to vote NO on Senate Bill 1716. We expect the bill will be voted on the week of November 29. Senate Bill 1716 enacts civil unions and grants those in civil unions the same rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage. Under this bill the only difference between marriage and civil unions is the name. Your message is simple: “Vote NO on Senate Bill 1716 because it equates civil unions and marriage. I am opposed to undermining marriage in this way.” It is also true this bill could have a significant impact on the Church’s social service missions.

Laws help structure society, and they play an important role in influencing patterns of behavior and thought. If the law were to suddenly redefine marriage through civil union, there can be no doubt the perceptions of our citizens will change. In Nature, marriage cannot exist without the union of a man and woman’s complementary attributes; most importantly, their shared ability to cooperate with God in the creation and shaping of new human lives. In our country, marriage has always been granted unique protections and benefits under the law to encourage its practice as the foundation of society. Marriage exists outside the law, but is elevated for the benefit of all. If we strip this construct away, marriage as a sacred union between man and woman will lose moral value in the eyes of our citizens – particularly the young – and this profoundly important bedrock, already stressed and in too many instances failing, further weakens.

To find out who your state representative is go to www.ilga.gov and click on the “Legislative Lookup” button in the lower right portion of the home page. You may also call our Chicago (312-368-1066) and Springfield (217-528-9200) offices to ask for help in determining your state representative and senator.

For more in-depth information concerning this issue, please visit the Catholic Conference website: www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org.

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