Chuck Colson Calls on the Church to Speak Out to Save Traditional Marriages

National Preaching Initiative provides tools and resources for church leaders to preach on this critical issue in September and October

WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 13, 2004—In May, same-sex "marriage" became legal in Massachusetts as the courts ignored both the will of the people and the needs of children in society. Since then, traditional marriage has been challenged in California, New York, Washington State, and elsewhere across the country.

"Most Americans don't believe that same-sex ‘marriage' could actually become the law of the land, and they don't fully realize how it would impact them and their children," stated Chuck Colson, chairman of the Wilberforce Forum and founder of the National Preaching Initiative.

Stanley Kurtz of the Hoover Institution has written that widespread acceptance of same-sex "marriage" will widen the already existing gap between parenthood and marriage and continue to break down the family. Studies confirm that the lack of an intact family puts children at greater risk of abuse, drug use, poor school performance, sexual promiscuity, and criminal activity.

Colson continued, "Given what's at stake, I believe that Christians need to make stopping the spread of same-sex ‘marriage' their number-one cultural priority. Pastors, priests, and clergy of all denominations should be leading the charge."

"The time to act is now. This issue has the potential to redefine and, ultimately, to destroy the institution of marriage in this country-and with marriage goes the family. The Church can't afford to be silent on this issue."

The National Preaching Initiative was founded to encourage and equip clergy to address their congregations during the months of September and October 2004 on God's design for marriage, sexuality, family, and cultural responsibility. The National Preaching Initiative website (http://marriage.wilberforce.org) provides valuable materials that church leaders can use to talk to their congregations about biblical marriage, including sample sermons, educational materials, articles and research on same-sex relationships.

Founded in 1991 as a division of Prison Fellowship, the Wilberforce Forum seeks to stimulate thought and dialogue on key moral issues and to educate academia, policy makers, justice officials, church leaders, and the general public on current issues from a Christian worldview. 

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