FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes down Kentucky Marriage Law
DATE: June 26, 2015
CONTACT: Richard Nelson (270) 719-1640
(Cadiz, KY) On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Kentucky’s law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. “This is a sad day for the rule of law and the democratic process,” said Commonwealth Policy Center Executive Director Richard Nelson. “Over 51 million voters amended 31 state constitutions to recognize man/woman marriage and today five judges said ‘we know better.’”
The 5-4 ruling holds that homosexual couples have a fundamental right to marry and that existing state marriage laws are unconstitutional. “As much as the Court desired to settle this question, utter disregard for the voters and ongoing debate over this issue neither eased tensions nor settled this question,” Nelson said. “This ruling creates a cultural rift as deep as the infamous Roe v. Wade ruling 42 years ago. But the debate will continue.”
“Man/woman marriage is the most fundamental and most important of human relationships. It is a pillar of society,” Nelson said. “When a pillar is weakened or altered, you weaken society in ways not immediately seen or felt.” Nelson predicts fallout for organizations holding to man/woman marriage.
He says Kentuckians can expect accreditation of orthodox Christian and Jewish schools to eventually be revoked, federal student loans at religious schools will end, faith-based adoption agencies like Sunrise Children’s Services will be forced out of business and Christian business owners, particularly those who cater to the wedding industry, will be sued for discrimination.
“If the Court can radically alter a definition embraced by society for millenia, it will insist that other institutions align themselves with the new dictate immediately,” Nelson said.
Nelson says that now is not time for panic or to retreat from the marriage issue. Rather, he encourages people of goodwill to overcome the judicial fiat to redefine the truth of marriage by boldly rejecting relativism and embodying and modeling truth in everyday life.