"Am I therefore become your enemy,because I TELL YOU THE TRUTH...?"
(Galatians 4:16)

Maryland court affirms traditional marriage

A court in Maryland has rejected arguments from homosexual marriage advocates that state law discriminates against same-sex couples, affirming a definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman."Because Family Law 2-201 does not abridge the fundamental right to marriage (as we understand that right), does not discriminate on the basis of sex in violation of Article 46, and does not otherwise implicate a suspect or quasi-suspect class, the marriage statute is subject to rational review," said the opinion from the state Court of Appeals, which went even further into the dispute."In the absence of some generally accepted scientific conclusion identifying homosexuality as an immutable characteristic, and in light of the other indicia used by this Court and the Supreme Court in defining a suspect class, we decline on the record in the present case to recognize sexual orientation as an immutable trait and therefore a suspect or quasi-suspect classification," the opinion said. "We're pleased that the Maryland Court of Appeals did not allow the demands of advocates of homosexual behavior to be furthered in this case," said Chris Stovall, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund."The court appropriately ruled that the proper place for public policy is with the public and the policymakers, not the judiciary. It remains critical for voters not to be lulled to sleep by this victory. It is crucially important that Americans support state marriage amendments, and, ultimately, a federal marriage amendment," Stovall said.The organization had filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Family Research Council in the case.The dispute erupted because Maryland law provides that no individuals may marry "in this State without a license issued by the clerk for the county in which the marriage is performed."Clerks, in issuing licenses, are charged with looking for "a legal reason why the applicants should not be married." Frank Conaway, clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, and others denied same-sex couples the licenses because of the state's family law that provides only "a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this State."But the court found in a 4-3 ruling that the 1973 ban on homosexual marriage does not discriminated on the basis of gender, nor does it deny any fundamental right.Those claims had been made by the 2004 lawsuit.While homosexuals have suffered from discrimination, "we do not believe that they meet the other criteria [for being a suspect or quasi-suspect classification]," the ruling said.
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