From the News Herald site, and AP article on Amendment 2

Amendment 2: Marriage

October 30, 2008 12:34:00 PM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MIAMI - Supporters and opponents know Amendment 2 will be called the "gay marriage amendment," but neither see it that way. They also agree that the vote will be close, but that's about it.
Amendment 2 would do one thing, supporters say - define marriage as between a man and a woman in the state constitution. Opponents argue that the amendment is unnecessary because there is already a state law banning same-sex marriage and that its vague wording would create unintented consequences for gay and straight couples.

Amendment 2 is the only citizen-sponsored amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot - the others were placed by the Legislature and a tax commission. Like the other amendments, it needs 60 percent support to pass.

"I think it's clearly the most important of all the amendments. I think both sides would say that," Yes2Marriage.org state chairman John Stemberger said.

Stemberger and his supporters' argument for the amendment is straightforward. Florida is one of more than 40 states with laws defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, but that isn't sufficient. They want Florida to join 27 other states that specifically define marriage in their consitutions. That would help prevent court rulings allowing same-sex marriage like those in Massachusetts, California, and, recently, Connecticut.

Backers, with strong support from churches and religious groups, have been working since 2005 to get the amendment on the ballot. Some opponents say the amendment is a way to get conservative voters to the polls for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, but supporters say they simply want to preserve marriage as it's currently defined.

"There are profound social, legal and moral implications when once you unlock the door and say 'You're loving and committed, you can get married,"' Stemberger said. "How do we say no to polygamists and group marriage?

"This is not about hating gay people or not liking anyone. It's about understanding the implications of redefining marriage in the wider culture."

Opponents, meanwhile, include the League of Women Voters of Florida, Florida Firefighters, the NAACP and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans. They argue that the amendment's vague wording would create problems for some unmarried couples, potentially stripping them of health care and other benefits.

"Had they offered an amendment that only defined marriage as a man and a woman then they would get a debate about whether that was a good idea, but instead they offered Amendment 2," said Derek Newton, campaign manager for Florida Red and Blue's "SayNo2" campaign opposing the amendment.

Newton says the first part of the amendment "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife" isn't the problem. It's the second part of amendment - "no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized" - that he says is dangerous. That language would outlaw domestic partnerships offered by some counties and private companies, he says.

Opponents say more than 10,000 couples have signed up on domestic partnership registries created by cities or counties statewide. Those registries give same-sex couples and heterosexual couples like Newton and his girlfriend rights like being able to see each other in hospitals. Some elderly couples register as domestic partners because if they marry they would lose Social Security or other benefits from a deceased or divorced spouse.

In addition, thousands of other couples aren't registered but still get domestic partnership benefits like health care through their employers, including some county employees, Newton said. He says those benefits could be challenged if Amendment 2 becomes law. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, the state's largest health insurer, has said it is against the amendment.

But supporters say even if domestic partnerships were eliminated - and they don't think that would happen - that wouldn't prohibit a private company from extending benefits to whoever they wish.

Mathew Staver, the founder and president of Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian legal group, helped draft both Amendment 2 and the 1997 Florida Defense of Marriage Act. Staver said he looked at language from all other states' constitutional amendments - from paragraph-length amendments in Ohio and Virginia to Hawaii's 13-word approach.

"We did it in the shortest amount of words we felt was necessary and kept it within one single sentence, so it's fairly straightforward," Staver said. "What it would do is prohibit same-sex marriage or same-sex marriage by another name."

Staver and other proponents say that domestic partnerships wouldn't be affected by Amendment 2. Domestic partnerships aren't "treated as marriage" or the "substantial equivalent" of marriage described in the amendment. Marriage has more than a thousand rights, domestic partnership only a handful, according to Stemberger, the amendment supporter.

Other supporters include the Florida Family Policy Council, which Stemberger heads and is associated with James Dobson's national Christian organization Focus on the Family; the Florida Baptist Convention; the Catholic church; and Staver's Liberty Council.

Opponents say if the amendment passes a court would ultimately have to decide whether domestic partnerships are "treated as marriage" or the "substantial equivalent" of marriage and therefore banned. An assessment of the amendment by the Florida Legislature's research arm said that if domestic partnership registries were found to be the substantial equivalent to marriage their "termination could place registrants at risk of losing specified rights and benefits, such as those related to health insurance."

Florida isn't the only state deciding a marriage question Nov. 4. Though the language differs, California and Arizona are also asking voters whether they want to put a definition of marriage in their state constitutions.

Like Florida, Arizona already has a state law banning same-sex marriage but is the only state to have rejected a previous attempt to put a ban in the state constitution. If voters approve the amendment in California, however, they would overturn a recent state Supreme Court ruling that made it the second state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Both supporters and opponents of Amendment 2 plan to increase outreach efforts ahead of the election. As of the end of September, Stemburger's group, previously named Florida4Marriage.org, had collected $1.1 million in cash and in-kind donations. Opponents had raised approximately $2.5 million.

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UP COMMING EVENT:
RUTH MCCORMMICK WILL BE HOSTING THE LORD OF THE HARVEST AT MCKENZIE PARK ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1ST FROM 9AM TO 6PM. WE WILL BE HAVING WORSHIP IN THE PARK AND DINNER ON THE GROUNDS. PLEASE BRING YOUR COVERED DISH AS WE BREAK BREAD TOGETHER.

Please be praying durring the debate tonight for it to go according to Gods will. That God will reveal His choice tonight. We must press in now more than ever!

Reclaiming the 7 Mountains of Florida

Dear Intercessors,

I just got this today from Donna Baber and it just confirmed in my spirit what I too was feeling yesterday. I have felt for some time that the American people would be allowed to choose what they wanted on this election and our choice would decide our fate. God has been ready to bring judgement upon this Nation because we have become an abomination to God as a Nation. We choose rights over life, we choose rights over keeping marriages between and man and woman as God has ordained in his word. We choose organizations and political parties view over Gods view. We choose to vote our own agendas instead of allowing Gods agendas to be voted through us.
The churches have been to busy building their own ministries that they have not focused on Gods cause during this election. We are a selfish and worldly people. Gods word says that we are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The church has been conformed by the world, we have not been transformers of this world as we were called to be. My heart is grieved for our Nation like never before. I fear that the church and the people of this Nation will choose our own agendas instead of Gods on election day and this will bring Gods judgement upon this Nation.

Please read this alert below; I believe it is accurate! Please keep praying. If Gods people will turn from their own agendas (wicked ways) and humble their choices to God; then God will turn his hand of judgement and bring a blessing instead. He can heal our land but He is waiting on us.
Subject: Double alert




URGENT- Wednesday afternoon update and alert -nationwide
Dear praying friends: My inbox is overflowing today with messages from all over the nation. Intercessors and prophetic people nationwide are sensing a great great URGENT need to: 1. Pray for the safety of our nation--WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE !All of you know that there has been a very specific urgent call regarding standing against IMMINENT DANGER. It began in ALASKA with Mary Glazier heralding a prophetic warning that was then affirmed as an accurate, urgent intercessory issue in America by many of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders and others who sensed the same thing. There IS a consensus. This afternoon, (Wednesday ) I was informed of more trusted intercessors in Texas who were gathered to pray and then began to hear "ground zero", ground zero, ground zero". The sense was literal danger to the nation. A phone call to a very trusted Christian who works in Federal Counter-Terrorism circles confirmed to them that there IS a high alert right now among government security officials nationwide concerning some sort of attack. 2. Pray for the debate tomorrow night.The issue of the debate is about specific powers of darkness working to control the nation in very specific anti-Christ ways and the debate itself has become a literal spiritual battleground and face off. As one leader said-"if the Church sits down to just watch the debate tomorrow night, then darkness is going to truly prevail but if we come to actively pray and agree with God, then darkness is going to be turned back". There is simply toooo many reports and appeals being released urgently from too many places to ignore this situation. Understand this is a spiritual issue. One very well known prophetic leader told me yesterday that-"There is something today so unsettling on my behalf....I cannot put my finger on it.. other than the animosity and deception in the body against righteous leaders" One leader at IHOP in Kansas City was given a dream where an angel appeared and kneeled before her, looking very directly into her eye and opened a scroll which read- THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN PLANS. THE CRY FOR 'CHANGE' IS LOUDER THEN THE CRY FOR 'MERCY' THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR A KING AND A KING THE PEOPLE SHALL HAVE. He then asked her --" WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? "I could go on and on.......something IS going on in the spiritual realm at this very moment!This IS a Haman and Esther confrontation hour between the spirit and theology of these two President/Vice President teams. We are being called to pray. Alert your lists again. Update your prayer partners.United we stand,

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Os Hillman



Lance Walnau