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Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans and Evangelicals joined together, February 10, in a ‘coalition of faith’ to defend traditional marriage, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.
The coalition is calling on the US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold bans on same-sex marriage in Utah and Oklahoma, saying marriage is “indispensable to social welfare and our republican form of government.”
While each church has differing beliefs, the group said they represent the voices of millions of Americans.
“Faith communities like ours are among the essential pillars of this nation’s marriage culture”, the groups said.
They called traditional marriage “a time-honoured tradition” that benefits children and society.
“In truth, we support the husband-wife definition of marriage because we believe it is right and good for children, families, and society. Our respective faith traditions teach us that truth. But so do reason, long experience, and social fact.”
“Our faith communities bear no ill will toward same-sex couples, but rather have marriage-affirming religious beliefs that merge with both practical experience and sociological fact to convince us that retaining the husband-wife marriage definition is essential,” an amicus brief filed with the court explains.
Professor Clifford Rosky who teaches law at the University of Utah and is also the Board Chair for Equality Utah disagrees with the statements the group makes within its brief.
Rosky said the court won’t be able to uphold Amendment 3 based on religious beliefs.
“It’s perfectly appropriate for anyone interested in the case to file an amicus brief, whether it’s organisation or an individual,” said Rosky, however “You can’t present religious doctrine in a court of law”, he said.
The State of Utah, filed its opening brief on February 3, and is seeking to overturn the December 20 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Robert J Shelby finding the state’s ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.
The 10th Circuit is allowing amicus parties to jointly file briefs in appeal of a similar ruling from an Oklahoma district court judge.
Those challenging Utah’s same-sex marriage ban will file their opening brief on February 25.
Members of the coalition of faith are: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; the National Association of Evangelicals; The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
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