Focus on the Family: Obama Disrespecting 'Will of the People'
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – President Obama is disregarding the will of the people by supporting same-sex marriage, said Focus on the Family President Jim Daly.
"This is obviously a hot-button political issue on which there is much disagreement nationwide, and people of good faith will come to different conclusions. But the presidency comes with a bully pulpit that ought to be used with respect for the will of the people – and the will of the people on this issue is crystal clear," Daly stated soon after Obama's announcement came during an ABC TV interview that aired on Wednesday.
"The role of government – from the White House to the State House to City Hall – is to do what is best for its people: all its people," he said. "I believe, as a Christian, God designed marriage as a holy union between husband and wife."
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Daly said that despite Obama's view on gay marriage, the family support Christian ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colo., that he leads will continue to advocate the biblical view on marriage.
"Even if you don't believe that, though, there are reams of social science data, and the experiences of generations of Americans, that the most stabilizing and enriching environment a child can grow up in is a home headed by his or her married mother and father," he continued. "And since the health of any society depends on the health of those who comprise it, it is the responsibility of government to enact laws that offer the best chance for health to be passed from one generation to the next. Traditional marriage is that best chance of ensuring the well-being of children and creating a building block for a thriving society."
While speaking to a group of journalists at an Evangelical Press Association (EPA) conference Thursday, Daly said that he believes the current social climate in regards to gay marriage is a sign of things to come.
"I believe God is getting our hearts ready for something bigger than the culture war. It starts in our own hearts. It doesn't start outside of us," he said during a conference luncheon.
When asked by The Christian Post what the most important thing Christians should keep in mind in regards to the issue of gay marriage, Daly said it was to show love to homosexuals.
"The question for me is how do we not go soft on the principles and also express God's kindness? I don't know many people who have been beaten into the kingdom of God. Love them because I don't think you are going to beat them into the Kingdom," he said.
He added that Christians should not be discouraged about what "culture is doing" and should instead be clear about their own heartfelt views.
Focus on the Family Spokesperson Gary Schneeberger told CP that although Obama's statement did not specifically point to any future legal action, the government should "make policy based on what is best for all of society."
"We counsel and talk to people all the time, saying that God's design for human sexuality is clear: one man, one woman in the context of lifelong marriage. Anything outside of that is less than what God has designed for human sexuality," Schneeberger said.
He added that 90 percent of Focus on the Family's ministry work is to help couples and their marriages, help parents raise their children, and to "bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus."
"Ten percent of our work does deal with public policy issues, but the Bible is not an opinion poll," Schneeberger said. "Those truths do not change based on what Gallup discovers in a survey. They don't change based on what any president might think of any issue. Those truths remain the same and we've advocated them for 35 years and will continue to do so."
