Nearly 200 Maine churches join forces to raise funds to defeat gay ‘marriage’ referendum
PORTLAND, Maine, June 5, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Almost two hundred Maine churches are expected hold a special Father’s Day collection to kick off fundraising in defense of true marriage as the state moves toward November’s referendum asking voters to legalize same-sex “marriage.”
“Marriage is under attack in Maine. For the first time in history, gay marriage activists have pursued a ballot measure to redefine marriage. Usually they prefer activist judges and radical politicians to redefine marriage, ignoring the wishes of voters,” the Protect Marriage Maine organization states ontheir website.
In 2009, Maine voters overturned efforts to redefine marriage in the state. By a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent in support of traditional marriage, voters rejected a same-sex “marriage” law that the state government had approved in May.
As happened in 2009, Maine’s pro-same-sex “marriage” activists have already substantially outspent the traditional marriage campaign.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, which requires political action committees involved in referendum campaigns to file reports on their financial activities, reported that “Mainers United for Marriage,” the organization advocating for same-sex “marriage” raised about $359,000 between April 1 and May 29, for a total of $464,723 this year.
The report states that Protect Marriage Maine reported raising $9,755 during the same period for a total of $11,440 for the year.
Carroll Conley Jr., executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, one of the supporting organizations of Protect Marriage Maine, said that the amount of money raised does not reflect voters’ stand on the issue. In 2009 the pro homosexual “marriage” campaign spent more than $5 million, compared to $2.5 million spent by supporters of traditional marriage.
“I’m not that concerned about the money raised to this point,” Conley said. “We know from the last campaign that we aren’t going to be able to raise as much money as the other side will. If we are able to raise $1 million in this state, that would be tremendous.”
The Bangor Daily News reported that the largest single donation to the pro-same-sex marriage group came from a co-founder of Facebook, Chris Hughes and his homosexual partner, Sean Eldridge, who offered a $100,000 matching gift to the campaign to redefine marriage.
Protect Marriage Maine states that while same-sex couples in Maine already enjoy full legal rights, gay marriage activists are not satisfied. “They have continued to organize, raise money and mislead voters into believing we can remove the very fabric of society—marriage—and nothing bad will happen. Unfortunately, when marriage is redefined there are significant consequences to individuals, small businesses, churches, couples and especially to children.”
“The messaging we’re using is that those who are seeking to redefine marriage in Maine believe there’s no difference between moms and dads,” Carroll Conley told The Associated Press. “We believe those differences are relevant. We don’t think the differences in the genders are societally imposed roles, and we believe that children benefit when they’re in that ideal environment where there’s a mom and dad.”
The organizers of the special Father’s Day collection said that about 800 churches across the state had been contacted to support the initiative and that so far between 150 to 200 indicated they will participate.
“Traditional marriage is under attack,” Protect Marriage Maine warns. “This Father’s Day, we are encouraging churches to take a special offering that will help prevent gay marriage activists from imposing their radical agenda on our state.”
For more information visit the Protect Marriage Maine website here.
