MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on a "People of Faith” rally at the Minnesota State Capital, where opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman gathered at the state Capitol.
Both camps in Minnesota's same-sex marriage debate are making the case that God is on their side. The “People of Faith” rally was a different message from the one heard earlier in the week when amendment supporters gathered. But both rallies put the focus on religious faith.
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[MUSIC PLAYING] Guide me--
TIM PUGMIRE: A large crowd filled the State Capitol rotunda and hallways on three floors for what organizers billed as a People of Faith rally. Religion has always been a driving force in the marriage debate, especially among those who favor a ban on same sex unions. But the Reverend Doug Donley of University Baptist church in Minneapolis says he sees a lot of prejudice hidden by a religious facade.
DOUG DONLEY: Prejudice is un-christian. Injustice is unchristian. Intolerance is unchristian. Exclusion is unchristian.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
This constitutional amendment is unchristian.
TIM PUGMIRE: The rally included Christian, Jewish, and Muslim speakers, who stressed that there are many religious people who oppose the constitutional amendment. Religious leaders on the pro-amendment side have described gay marriage as a violation of biblical law and a threat to the traditional family. The Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde of Saint John the Baptist Episcopalian church insists the Amendment would do nothing to protect marriages or families.
MARIANN EDGAR BUDDE: The time and energy spent wasted pushing this amendment forward would be better addressed addressing the issues that are genuine threats to families in our society and in our state, unemployment, homelessness, poor access to health care.
TIM PUGMIRE: One of the key proponents of the marriage amendment says she welcomes the diversity of religious opinions being heard at the Capitol. Republican Senator Michele Bachmann of Stillwater has been fighting to convince the DFL majority to allow a floor vote on whether to put the amendment on the ballot in November.
MICHELE BACHMANN: Well, I don't object to people's religious views being brought into the debate. I think that's the essence of what a lot of people are about, is their faith. And certainly that should be brought in. Whether their faith informs them to support traditional marriage or not support traditional marriage, I welcome those viewpoints in the debate. The fact is we just need to have the debate.
TIM PUGMIRE: Speakers at the Capitol rally drew enthusiastic applause for their comments against the amendment, but the loudest Cheers came at the mention of the name of DFL Senator Dean Johnson. Johnson is under fire for comments he made to a group of pastors in January.
He claimed to have received assurances from Supreme Court justices that they wouldn't overturn the current state law banning gay marriage. Justices say the conversation never took place, and Johnson has since apologized for making misstatements. Scott Cooper of the gay rights advocacy group out front Minnesota, one of the rally's sponsors, says he wasn't surprised by the way the crowd responded for Johnson.
SCOTT COOPER: A lot of the anger and frustration and politics around this is about homophobia. And people here can relate to allies who are experiencing homophobia. And that's part of what's going on.
TIM PUGMIRE: Senator Johnson's troubles haven't subsided. The Minnesota Republican Party is launching another radio advertising campaign to target DFL senators who support Johnson and oppose the marriage amendment. Chairman Ron Carey says senate Democrats have turned their heads away from their leaders' outright lie.
RON CAREY: If your child would come home from school and tell you a big whopper of a lie, you would forgive them, but you would also hold them accountable and have consequences for that lie. To do anything else would be irresponsibility as a parent. And I believe that we should not let Dean Johnson have an ethical standard that's lower than the ethical standard we told our own children to.
TIM PUGMIRE: The DFL party official quickly denounced the Republican campaign, calling it a divisive political attack. The Senate Ethics Committee is scheduled a meeting Friday morning to discuss the complaint filed this week against Johnson. At the Capitol, I'm Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio news.