Following the June 26, 2003, Lawrence v. Texas U.S. Supreme Court Decision, many supposed-to-conservatives had become rather cocksure about promoting the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment. Yet, as the first-year anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas now arrives, numerous leaders have admitted their diminished confidence, surprised that they are losing the debate. 
 
But pro-polygamy activists are not surprised. They frequently tried to warn such fellow conservatives that the proposed amendment is an utter betrayal of conservatism. Any supposed-to-be conservative pushing it is idolatrously advancing "New Liberalism" because it violates all conservative principles of the Constitution, limited government, and the Bible. 
 
Conservative leadership from the Christian polygamy (non-Mormon) organization, TruthBearer.org, was immediately explaining that the true conservative response to legalizing so-called "same-sex marriage" is to remove the false god of big socialist government from any involvement in marriage. Then, no one would be forced to recognize any alleged forms of marriage -- real, fictional, or otherwise. Moreover, not only would the amendment unscripturally deny the polygamous marriages of many Biblical heroes, but not one person in the Bible was ever married "by government" anyway. Indubitably, the amendment is unbiblical and unconservative. 
 
"New Liberal" leaders, however, self-confidently refused to listen. 
 
But one year after Lawrence v. Texas, those same leaders are now openly dumbfounded. Indeed, numerous supposed-to-be conservative leaders have openly acknowledged that grass roots supporters do not seem to be joining this outright betrayal of conservatism. 
 
Their "admissions of losing" initially began on February 18, 2004. Gary Bauer was the first. He issued a lamenting press release from his organization, Campaign for Working Families. The title despaired, "Why We Always Lose."  
 
But a few days later, on February 24th, U.S. President Bush publicly supported the proposed amendment. Such official presidential support re-invigorated Bauer and other "New Liberal" leaders, of course. Once again, they had hope in their idolatrous Federal Marriage Amendment. 
 
But the subsequent milestone-date of May 17, 2004, came quickly. Massachusetts, as Court-ordered, officially began issuing "same sex marriage" licenses to homosexuals. Minimal negative public response thereto made Bauer's -- and others' -- re-invigoration rather short-lived. 
 
And "admissions of losing" re-started. 
 
On Sunday, May 16th -- the day before that landmark-date in Massachusetts -- the New York Times published an article by David D. Kirkpatrick. The article reported how grass roots conservative supporters have shown a "tepid response" to the calls-to-action by the supposed-to-be conservative leaders. And those leaders are rather dumbfounded about that lack of outrage and even outright silence. 
 
Louis Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, was quoted as saying, "I don't see any traction. The calls aren't coming in, and I am not sure why." 
 
Matt Daniels, who founded the Alliance for Marriage, which helped create the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, was also quoted in that New York Times article as saying, "Our side is basically asleep right now." 
 
Dr. James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, re-iterated his own surprise about this in a June 24 Baptist Press op-ed. He wrote, "...the biggest shock of all may be that this development has prompted little more than a minor outcry from most Americans." 
 
Both the silence of the conservative masses and the dumbfoundedness of the "New Liberal" leaders were again reported in another major newspaper. On June 20, 2004, the Washington Post published an article by Alan Cooperman. 
 
It reported, "Evangelical leaders had predicted that a chorus of righteous anger would rise up out of churches from coast to coast and overwhelm Congress with letters, e-mails and phone calls in support of a constitutional amendment... But that has not happened." 
 
The article then quoted Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, "Standing on Capitol Hill listening, you don't hear anything." 
 
None of this surprises polygamy activists, though, who believe such leaders are "not hearing anything" because they would not listen to true conservative pro-polygamists' warnings.  
 
Conservatism cannot succeed against "gay marriage" liberalism by advancing marriage amendment liberalism. And Bible-believing Christians cannot preach against homosexual behavioral sin by committing big government idolatrous sin. 
 
For genuine Christians, the polygamy issue exposes the marriage amendment's greatest hypocrisy. It liberally denies the polygamous marriages of numerous Biblical heroes. Such "New Liberalism" undermines the Bible more than anti-religious liberals could ever hope to achieve. 
 
Hence, opposing liberalism with liberalism guarantees that liberalism "wins" the debate. And true conservatives absolutely do lose. 
 
On this first-year anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas, renowned "New Liberal" columnist, Cal Thomas, conceded it the most clearly, on May 19th. Supposed-to-be conservatives "have given it their best shot, but this debate is over." 


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Bibliographic URLs:

TruthBearer.org 
http://www.TruthBearer.org 
 
 
Pro-Polygamists tried to warn fellow conservatives, to no avail 
WorldNetDaily 
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33409 
http://traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1046 
Washington Blade 
http://www.washblade.com/print.cfm?content_id=1821 
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=CU04A01 
 
 
Gary Bauer 
http://www.cwfpac.com/press_releases.php?id=02200401 
 
 
New York Times 
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A13FD3C5B0C758DDDAC0894DC404482 
[Free text at:] 
http://www.iht.com/articles/520154.html 
 
 
James Dobson 
http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/2791.article 
 
 
Washington Post 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54966-2004Jun19.html 
[Free text at:] 
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_045d50f88197229b00cb. html 
 
 
Cal Thomas 
http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/editorial/8733814.htm 
http://www.citizenonline.net/citizen/archive/article8BF681B0AC264573BA5694131F488897.asp