Florida’s Major Latino Faith Community Leaders Announce Support of Amendment 2

Posted on: September 30th, 2008
Filed Under: [ Press Releases ] [ Religion ] [ Florida ]

Florida’s Latino faith community leaders, Diocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Felipe J. Esteves, El Rey Jesus Church Pastor Guillermo Maldonado, Riverside Baptist Church Pastor Otto Fernandez and other Latino ministers joined millions of Floridians in their support of Amendment 2 (The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment) when they announced that marriage is, has always been and should remain the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife today at the Miami-Dade Courthouse in Miami.
The major Latino faith community leaders joined other faith community leaders and thousands of churches across Florida that support the common sense of having people and not judges define marriage in Florida. More than 426 Florida leaders have endorsed the Yes2Marriage.org campaign effort in support of Amendment 2 and will vote “Yes on 2″ on Nov. 4. The leaders endorsing the marriage amendment include businessmen, pastors, community leaders, bishops and legislators.

“I am pleased to join other faith leaders, churches and organizations in their support of the sanctity of marriage,” Bishop Esteves said. “There is nothing more sacred than that of the union of a man and woman joined in holy matrimony. I pray that Floridians join us in ensuring that marriage is defined by people and not the court system. The value of marriage must be preserved and we must Vote Yes on Amendment 2 on Nov. 4.”

Amendment 2 does one thing and one thing alone; it defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It does not prohibit the government or private companies from extending benefits to unmarried Floridians.

“Same sex marriage subjects our children to a vast untested social experiment,” Pastor Fernandez said. “According to numerous studies from around the world, evidences collected over decades show that children need both mothers and fathers and the breakdown of marriage in the United States has had a devastating effect on society, especially on children. Marriage protects our children by giving them the best chance for both a mother and a father.”

The Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Amendment 2 concerns the “single subject” of marriage and simply takes the existing state marriage law and places it into the constitution having similar effect.

“It only makes sense to support our existing law regarding marriage in the state of Florida. This law has and will continue to help moms and dads raise Florida’s next generation of leaders in a loving and nurturing environment,” Pastor Maldonado said. “While I admire single parents who raise their children alone as a result of circumstances oftentimes beyond their control, children have a need and deserve to be raised by good mothers and fathers together.”

“The ‘gay activists’ are curiously running as far away from the idea of ‘gay marriage’ as they can. They know they have no chance at even trying to prevail if they debate this issue straight up. Instead they have resorted to scare tactics aimed at Florida’s most vulnerable citizens — our seniors,” said John Stemberger, Yes2Marriage.org State Chairman. “We are calling upon all faith leaders to educate and protect their senior citizen communities from the avalanche of fraud and deception that they will see on TV, radio and in phone calls.”

Yes2Marriage.org is the official campaign of the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, Amendment 2 which will appear on the general election ballot on Nov. 4. Yes2Marriage.org (formerly Florida4Marriage.org) is a coalition of thousands of families, churches, seniors, organizations, community leaders and elected officials who have come together from around the state to protect the definition of marriage in Florida between one man and one woman.

For more information on Voting Yes on Amendment 2 visit Yes2Marriage.org.

CONTACT: Leslie D. Steele
(850) 510-0442
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