Latest news with #CovenantMarriageAct
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Covenant marriages exclude LGBT people and that's what Tennessee lawmakers want
Editor's note: Letters to the editor reflect the views of individual readers. Scroll to the bottom to see how you can add your voice, whether you agree or disagree. We welcome diverse viewpoints. Re: "Covenant marriages will make Tennessee families stronger especially for children," by Noah Jenkins, Feb. 22. Noah Jenkins has written a thoughtful and coherent guest opinion column in support of the Covenant Marriage Act. However, his description omits a key element of the bill which is clearly one of its main points. The first condition of House Bill 315/Senate Bill 737 states "a covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one male and one female." In creating a different category that excludes the LGBT community, our legislators are designating a class of citizenry unavailable to all. The Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, has been very clear about his disdain for gay marriage. After the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell vs. Hodges decision in 2015, then state Representative Pody declared that same sex marriage is "wicked" and stated that,"I believe God told me this" before reading a passage from the book of Ezekiel in which he warns that "they shall surely die." I am very cautious about people who declare that a supernatural deity speaks to them, and their actions are sanctioned by a god. To declare this as an elected American state representative is misguided at best and dangerous. Opinion: Contradictions between faith, politics and racism still haunt the South It is with sincere hope that I say please, please do not allow this or other biblical passages to influence our laws. Surely, our state will not command a virgin who has been raped to marry her rapist (Deuteronomy 22:28-29). This is a prime example of why our founders established a wall of separation between church and state. This wall should keep all religions from pushing any bigoted laws through a secular legislature. Wesley H. Roberts, Pegram 37143 Agree or disagree? Or have a view on another topic entirely? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to letters@ Include your full name, city/town, ZIP and contact information for verification. Thanks for adding to the public conversation. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: LGBT couples would be excluded from Tennessee's Covenant Marriage Act
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Covenant marriages will make Tennessee families stronger especially for children
The American family is struggling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-5 marriages in the United States fail within five years, ballooning to 1-in-2 within 20 years. And while year-to-year divorce rates hit a 50-year low – which really isn't saying much in absolute terms – this has come with the side-effect of marriage rates continuing to plummet, down over 50% over the last half-century. From here, there are many directions I could go to explain why any of this matters. Marriage and the family are the foundations upon which society rests. When these foundations are shaken, their effects, to varying degrees, ripple through all aspects of society. The most immediate of these effects, however, is that on children. A recent journal article in 'World Psychiatry' underscored how divorce has been 'associated with an increased risk' of poor academic performance, behavioral and substance use issues, and depression in youth. But I don't think we need psychiatrists to tell us this. If you yourself didn't experience the disruptive effect of divorce growing up, you most definitely know some who did. No wonder younger generations are so leery to enter marriages. We are traumatized. But we must not forget that this understandable reaction itself has beget another problem. More children than ever before are being born out of wedlock either into broken familial situations or into cohabitating situations that, without the security marriage provides, are disproportionately correlated with the same type of issues addressed above. It isn't just that divorce is bad for children, it's that marriage is actively good for them. For the sake of America's families, we need to Make Marriage Great Again, and Tennessee is poised to do just that with a bill – the Covenant Marriage Act (House Bill 315/Senate Bill 737) – introduced this session by Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Franklin, and Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon. The bill contains two symbiotic elements that I think would help reduce divorce rates in Tennessee, which as of 2023 has the 13th highest rate in the nation. First, those seeking a covenant marriage would need to undergo marriage counseling and, second, the couple's divorce options after marrying would be limited to extreme situations such as domestic violence or abandonment. While the latter might seem overly restrictive, it serves to keep the couple accountable. Attraction and a sense of connection to the other – both of which have their highs and lows, with many jumping ship in the low moments – are not the only things marriage is about. It is about making a lifelong commitment to the betterment of the other and fostering a bond so strong that a family, abounding in the love of the parents, can be born. Committing to this family, a commitment baked into marriage, means working through even some serious problems without giving up, which is not only better, on balance, for children but also good for the parents. The requirement of marriage counseling, then, can be seen as a favor. For those already prepared for the commitment, it will just serve as a good reminder. For those not prepared, it will either impel them to build a healthier foundation for a lifelong bond or reveal that marriage isn't for them—both of which are better than a messy, costly, and traumatizing divorce down the line. Honestly, I would make covenant marriages the default option with the ability to opt-out – the current bill does the opposite – as it is just too much of a good to be relegated to the bottom of a form many people won't bother to read. But let's take what we can get. For the good of the spouses and, if for nothing else, the children. Noah Jenkins is the chairman of the Tennessee and Vanderbilt College Republicans and has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, and Fox News Digital. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee families will benefit from covenant marriages | Opinion
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abolishing abortion bill stopped at Judiciary Committee
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The 'Abolishing Abortion Act' failed to pass the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. 'We try not to use that language that's very co-opted from, you know, around slavery. They co-opted that. However, even potentially getting a hearing in the Senate would be alarming to all Oklahomans. Even having it as a talking point. When people hear about this bill circulating, they may not know that it's not an actual law and what that impact could be,' said Tamya Cox-Toure of the ACLU of Oklahoma. The bill failed the judiciary 6-to-2 after a long, almost two-hour hearing, where many Senators spoke out against it. Oklahoma lawmakers aim to crack down even more on state abortion laws Deevers and Hamilton argue that a ban doesn't stop Oklahoma women from still getting abortions in states where the procedure is legal, or in other ways, like buying abortion pills online. That's what this attempt was meant to do. It essentially changed the criminal code in the state by calling women who take abortion pills, murderers, and possibly doctors who prescribe it, criminals. If a woman is experiencing a pregnancy that has to be terminated for health and safety reasons, she or the doctor will not be punished. This isn't the first time that a bill like this has failed. Last year, a similar bill didn't even make it to the committee. Some lawmakers questioned why it was needed again for this session. Governor Stitt, in 2024, told News 4 that he wouldn't sign a bill like this because it put the punishment on the mother. 'We want to be a very pro-family state, pro-life state. We want to support the mothers. We want to support the children. That doesn't sound like something I'd be supportive of,' said Gov. Stitt last year. There were many supporters of Deever's efforts who attended the hearing on Wednesday. 'If he [Gov. Stitt] doesn't sign it, then he has no reason to hold public office and we will work against him getting elected,' said Ben Ariel of Abolitionists Rising. Many in the group spoke out against in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in general. President Trump signed an Executive Order just this week, seemingly expanding access to IVF treatment and making it more affordable. 'We implore President Trump to change his mind and to repent before God for allowing this mass murder,' said Ariel, in response. 'We've never seen this in this country before,' said Cox-Toure, about Deever's bill that failed. 'And again, it goes to show how extreme this type of movement is.' Deever's Marriage Covenant bill also failed the Senate Judiciary on Wednesday. The Covenant Marriage Act in Oklahoma would make it harder to get a divorce. The act would allow couples to choose a covenant marriage, which is a legal contract based on traditional marriage vows. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
