![<p>Josh Armstrong/The News</p><p>A sign in front of Shield of Faith Baptist Church reads, “Vote for [the] Marriage Amendment May 8.” “I have seen probably at least a thousand signs,” said Commissioner Paul Johnson, “and I know I’ve had at least 25 to 30 phone calls from people wanting signs that encourage others to vote yes.”</p>](http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/497/assets/Commissioners_favor_same_sex_marriage_amendment0_1334371110.jpg "<p>Josh Armstrong/The News</p><p>A sign in front of Shield of Faith Baptist Church reads, “Vote for [the] Marriage Amendment May 8.” “I have seen probably at least a thousand signs,” said Commissioner Paul Johnson, “and I know I’ve had at least 25 to 30 phone calls from people wanting signs that encourage others to vote yes.”</p>")
Josh Armstrong/The News
A sign in front of Shield of Faith Baptist Church reads, “Vote for [the] Marriage Amendment May 8.” “I have seen probably at least a thousand signs,” said Commissioner Paul Johnson, “and I know I’ve had at least 25 to 30 phone calls from people wanting signs that encourage others to vote yes.”
DOBSON — On Monday, the Surry County Board of Commissioners will vote on a resolution supporting the North Carolina same-sex marriage amendment, set to appear on the May 8 ballot.
In its previous meeting, the board voted to draft the resolution, with the motion made by Vice Chairman Garry Scearce and seconded by Commissioner Paul Johnson.
Drafted by County Manager Dennis Thompson, the resolution announces the board’s support of “the passage of the proposed [a]mendment to the Constitution as a means of strengthening the [s]tate law which already exists, and as an affirmation of traditional marriage unions that have been and continue to be the foundation of our family heritage.”
According to Scearce, the idea for the resolution arrived after other counties passed similar support for the amendment, commonly referenced as Amendment One.
“I’ve had a lot of people ask me why we haven’t done a marriage amendment,” he explained. “I hadn’t given it a bunch of thought.
“But when I got to looking, there are a lot of counties around us who had already done so. I felt it was our obligation to follow what most of the voters want.”
Commissioner boards in neighboring N.C. counties Ashe, Davie and Watauga have likewise voted to support the amendment.
As for Surry’s board, the commissioners voiced religious and tax-related reasons for supporting the resolution. Commissioner Eddie Harris elaborated on the latter case.
“Surry County’s tax dollars are involved in this issue, in the fact that marriage licenses have to be taken out and recorded in the county in which the marriage takes place,” he said. “It’s not my concern to get involved with peoples’ private lives. What they do is their own business, in regards to the lifestyle they choose.
“I personally believe marriage should be only between a man and a woman, and the county should not be involved in any arrangement other than marriage between a man and a woman.”
Commissioner Paul Johnson echoed that sentiment. “Being a Christian and a God-fearing person, I believe that God intended for man and woman to be together, not man-and-man or woman-and-woman,” he said. “Times may have changed. But the Scriptures have not changed, and God has not changed.”
Scearce said he believes most Surry Countians will vote for the amendment, passing it “with flying colors.” One reason for that belief, he added, is due to amount of yard signs he has seen favoring the amendment.
Similarly, Johnson said, “In Surry County, I have seen one that says to vote against the marriage amendment. I have seen probably at least a thousand signs, and I know I’ve had at least 25 to 30 phone calls from people wanting signs that encourage others to vote yes.”
Nonetheless, the same-sex marriage amendment has opposition from such prominent figures as President Barrack Obama and N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue. This week, Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers said it would weaken the state’s appeal to businesses around the globe.
In March, Elon University released a poll revealing 54 percent of people surveyed oppose the amendment, while 38 percent support it. The poll consisted of 605 N.C. residents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.98 percentage points. The poll also did not take into account whether its participants were registered or likely to vote.
If the same-sex marriage amendment is passed, it will add a new section to Article 14 of the North Carolina Constitution: “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”
“That would further strengthen the law we have in North Carolina,” said Harris. “It will make it harder for a liberal activist judge to tamper with it.”
According to County Attorney Ed Woltz, the amendment would most considerably affect same-sex couples who entered a marriage or civil union in another state, since N.C. already has a statutory prohibition again such unions. If the amendment is passed, same-sex couples could forfeit certain rights by moving to N.C. For instance, in the time of death, the surviving partner in a marriage or civil union would not have the right to administer his or her deceased partner’s estate, unless otherwise is stated in a legal will. Furthermore, the couple’s land ownership would be affected, as the surviving partner would not automatically be entitled to the deceased partner’s half of the land.
Still, Woltz added that certain potential effects of the amendment have been exaggerated by its opponents. On Thursday, Perdue released an online video in which she claimed the amendment could invalidate domestic violence laws. Her conclusion arrived partially from Ohio’s passing of a similar amendment, which resulted in some judges dropping domestic violence charges in cases with unmarried couples.
“There’s been a lot of talk about Ohio having issues with the domestic violence claims,” said Woltz. “But apparently that’s the only state where that has been an issue.
“I don’t think many of the amendments use the same language. Certainly none of them use the same language as ours.”
No matter how the county and state vote on May 8, the commissioners anticipate a unanimous vote to approve the resolution on Monday. If the resolution is passed, it will be sent to N.C. delegation soon afterward.
Reach Josh Armstrong at 719-1921 or armstrong@heartlandpublications.com.
Just as a sidebar "This country was founded on the principle of separation of church and state." By bring religion into this discussion the county commissioners have violated that principle.
There are 2 times homosexuality is mentioned in the NT.
Both times the original GREEK words do NOT translate as referring to those who are LGBT.
Do your Biblical homework before cutting others down.
Also,
Do not even try to bring in anything from the OT. Jesus said He has the NEW covenant in HIS blood. Stop living in the OT past and move on to living as a Christian (which means little Christ).
1. Before Christ came we were imprisoned and guarded by the Old Testament law (Galatians 3:23).
2. Christ came (Luke 2:11).
3. His blood being shed for all people is the new law (Luke 22:20).
4. We are no longer under the law, but instead under Christ (Galatians 3:25).
5. We are all sons of God through our faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26).
6. We are justified/made righteous by faith, not by deeds of the law (Romans 3:28).
We now are to abide by the laws of Christ: love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39) & Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2).
Check out http://www.godhatesshrimp.com/
People have choices about where they will travel and spend tourist dollars. Why would they want to visit a place that is not welcoming and inclusive? You can best believe that people are watching votes like this, and the sad thing is you will most likely never know what business you lost because of this vote.
Studies have shown that communities that are welcoming and inclusive of diversity thrive economically. To quote the CEO of Duke Energy, "...when you pass an amendment like that, you are sending a message to the world about what kind of community this is — not inclusive. We don’t have equal standards for people with a different point of view.”
Don't you want to be known as a county where people love their neighbors? Or is this much-touted friendliness restricted and withheld from those who might be different?
Thank you, Commissioners for doing whats right. Not only is same-sex marriages wrong from a Biblical standpoint, more importantly it is harmful in many other aspects. I understand that people say that these are new times and that calls for a new way of doing things, but as the old saying goes, "If it aint broke, don't fix it." I dont mean to be ugly or disrespect any gay person or couple for that matter. Im not trying to say that they should not be happy, but although I dont condemn those that are gay, I do think that on many levels it is harmful. It can hurt both partners involved.
"The CDC reported the following regarding the United States and homosexuality: "CDC conducted sentinel surveillance in 28 cities and found the proportion of cases resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (a first-line treatment for gonorrhea) increased from 4.1 percent in 2003 to 6.8 percent in 2004. Resistance is especially worrisome in men who have sex with men, where it was eight times higher than among heterosexuals (23.8 percent vs. 2.9 percent)."[13] "
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated the following regarding syphilis in the United States: "While surveillance data are not available by risk behavior, a separate CDC analysis suggests that approximately 64 percent of all adult P&S syphilis cases in 2004 were among men who have sex with men, up from an estimated 5 percent in 1999...."[12]"
That is just way it is harmful to the people themselves. It hurts the children that are involved and the families. It presents problems for friends and neighbors. But more importantly than affecting those around them, it is an abomination in the eyes of God.
"I dont mean to be ugly or disrespect any gay person or couple for that matter. Im not trying to say that they should not be happy"
Isn't condemning a little disrespectful there newsgrl? You want them to be happy, just not be able to get married like everyone else...
50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, and the homosexuals are trying to taint marriage...
When are you people going to wake up and realize there is no god. I mean think about it. You can easily say there is no Zeus, no Buddha and all other religions are made up and not real. But for some odd reason yours is? Reality is calling.
The only thing Christians use their religion for is to bash, ban, judge, prohibit, kill, remove, and degrade everyone that doesn't believe. Remember the crusades, the Salem witch trials, the genocide of the Native American people. All in the name of god. Since the beginning of Christianity, if people don't believe they have been judged, killed, and removed. Religion is a tool. An evil tool at that.
According to you and your god they are going to hell because they love each other and are of the same sex. But doesn't your god also teach to love thy neighbor and be among the sinner. Turn the other cheek etc. etc. Oh but wait let's play that new testament old testament game. Surely we can't believe in both, surely god didn't mean that if a woman gets pregnant before marriage for her to be put to death. Your god said all those things, he didn't say pick and choose what you believe.
There is no after life. See that's where Christians win. The real reward or punishment is after death. How convenient. After death. When you die, you die. That's it. None of this floating city in the clouds or eternal burning. People are afraid of the reality of death so they make up things to make them feel better. I pity you so called Christians, and I pity our government for not realizing of that little thing called separation between church and state. Remember there is still marriage without god. Justice of the peace. And it should be legal for same sex couples to be married. Remember when they said it was wrong for blacks to have freedom or women to have rights. It will just be a matter of time before same sex marriage is legal in the entire country. But when that happens be sure to drink your kool-aid. Jesus was a middle eastern Jew...
If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people.
"Separation of church and state" (sometimes "wall of separation between church and state") is a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson (in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists) and others expressing an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The phrase has since been repeatedly cited by the Supreme Court of the United States.
"Separation of church and state" (sometimes "wall of separation between church and state") is a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson (in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists) and others expressing an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The phrase has since been repeatedly cited by the Supreme Court of the United States.
From the American Psychological Association: homosexuality is a normal sexual orientation; homosexual relationships are normal relationships.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association have endorsed civil marriage and adoption for same-sex couples because marriage strengthens mental and physical health and longevity of couples, and provides greater legal and financial security for children, parents and seniors. Research confirms that the children develop perfectly normally. Even the American Academy of Anthropology has issued a policy statement that says access to civil marriage by same-sex couples will not harm our social order.
If we are not listening to professional experts on this issue of national family health and welfare, then we are simply voting our religious beliefs or personal bias into state and federal laws, and harming the families of gay and lesbian couples, especially those with children.
I've always wondered, in a gay or lesbian marriage, who plays the role of husband and who plays the role of wife. After all, that's what it takes to define marriage, a husband and a wife.
I know plenty of gay couples in wonderful relationships raising phenomenal children... and I also know plenty of straight couples who have scarred their children with bad marriages. There will always be good and bad examples in any scenario. The key to a marriage is LOVE and RESPECT... not gender.
We have children committing suicide and being bullied these days because of the hate being spewed by so-called Christians. Extremely heartbreaking, if you ask me... :-( Kids learn hate from their parents and adult role models. It's about time we expand our wings and teach our children love and acceptance, rather than hate... THAT'S what will make this world a better place... not keeping gays from legal marriage.
Further why shouldn't gay people be allowed to be married..are straight people the only ones allowed to be miserable!!! Time and time again studies have shown that children raised in loving same sex relationships are as well off as those raised in the traditional male-female relationships..The so called damage it causes to the family UNIT is so ridiculous it goes without saying. One look at divorce rates shows plainly that the divorce rate between same sex couples and different sex couples is far and above dominated by different sex dissolutions. In closing how exactly is it that two guys or two girls, that love each other differ from from a mixed marriage...I thought love was love no matter. Oh yeah, you get better benefits under the laws passed by a government that is suppose to defend seperation of church and state matters...doesn't it sound like gays and lesbians therefore deserve equal protection under the law...Something our commissioners evidently don't believe...HOW SAD AND THE PEOPLE OF SURRY COUNTY ELECTED THIS GROUP>>>OMG!!!!
Our rights were given to us by GOD. I know too that many say they want Freedom from Religion,well we don't have that, it is officially Freedom of Religion. Our Government is a Republic and not a Democracy and our Constitution is not a " Living Document ".
Children living in a same sex marriage( So Called Family) have a hard time figuring out what is real and what is fantasy. Gays and Lesbians can live together and file the correct papers to have agreements drawn up. So don't push your agenda on the Majority that we are.
I commend the Surry County Commissioners for voting "FOR" the Amendment, when they assemble for their next meeting. God Bless you
The article's title was a straightforward acknowledgment of the commissioners' support for the amendment, with no attempt at misrepresentation.
Does it not appear that this is a "monkey see - monkey do" reaction? Does NC HAVE to follow the pattern of other states, or can we think for ourselves? As Jesus said, "he without sin throw the first stone".
Romans 1:18-32 (KJV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptibleman, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
PS: The "death" that is addressed in Romans 1:32 refers to the spiritual death at the lake of fire and is eternal.