FRC Wants Supernatural Intervention to Stop Marriage Equality

January 30, 2012 by 34 Comments

The bigots at the Family Research Council are up in arms about the impending legalization of same-sex marriage in the state of Washington and they’re urging their members to pray for supernatural intervention by God to prevent it from happening. Right Wing Watch has the text:

State Marriage Fights Intense – Unless God intervenes, Governor Chris Gregoire will succeed in her effort to legalize same-sex “marriage” in Washington State. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (D) announced Monday that she will support the bill, making her’s the 25th vote necessary for passage. “You are saying…you know better than God,” said Pastor Ken Hutcherson of the Antioch Bible Church. The House is expected to pass the measure easily. Meanwhile, pro-family advocates in New Jersey are pleading for prayer from across the nation. Same-sex “marriage” advocates at the State House in Trenton outnumber those defending traditional marriage. Thankfully, Governor Christie has promised to veto legislation, but the legislature may well pass it with a veto-proof majority. In Maryland, a citizen rally to protest the legalization of homosexual “marriage” will be held outside the State House the evening of January 30th; the Senate Hearing will be on the 31st. May God strengthen and reinforce the pro-family groups that are leading the fights to preserve natural marriage and to prevent same-sex “marriage.” May the people of each state rally to support God-given marriage and may God give supernatural assistance where it is needed! (Jdg 4:14-15; 5:12-15a; Neh 6:9; Ps 110:3; Is 41:10; Mt 19:6; Mk 10:9)

They don’t say what kind of “supernatural assistance” God might give here. What could it possibly be? I suppose he could theoretically change the minds of legislators who would otherwise vote for the bill, but that clearly contradicts that whole free will thing that they use as an excuse to get out of the problem of evil. What else is there? Make sure that their votes don’t get counted? Send earthquakes and floods? They claim that God sends every natural disaster that has ever happened to send a message about one sin or another and no one listens to the message (nor should they, of course). Strike the governor down and kill her? It’s the sort of thing God apparently loves to do, but it’s never been very effective.

Filed Under: Equality, Wingnuttia 34 Comments
About Ed Brayton

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

  • tynk

    Governor Chris Gregoire will succeed in her effort to legalize same-sex “marriage” in Washington State.

    I am sorry, but this just keeps pissing me off. I am getting sick and tired of being treated as sub human, with my rights being somehow considered ironically “rights”. A possibility of equal treatment in hospitals, tax codes, and property codes somehow deserving once again of the ironic “marriage”.

    Fuck off, if you want to be a bigoted ass then be a bigoted ass. No need to be sanctimonious by degrading my status as less then sentient.

  • anandine

    Does this mean that if Washington does pass the bill that one of the following is true?

    — God wants gay marriage to be legal (for whatever mysterious reason, maybe to test which people will partake, to therefore decide who goes to hell)

    — God was unable to stop it from happening

  • otrame

    Wow. How are they going to explain it when God doesn’t do anything? I know they’ll have an excuse; I’m just interested in what it will be. The worst thinking we do is when we are trying to reconcile cognitive dissonace. For them “the worst” will be pretty bad. And by bad, I mean funny.

  • ArtK

    So, if there is no divine intervention and the measure passes, will these nutters accept that either: 1) God doesn’t exist; or 2) He doesn’t give a crap about this and, in fact, actually approves of SSM? No? I didn’t think so. It’ll get brushed off as “we didn’t pray hard enough” or “God works in mysterious ways — he’s giving us a bigger challenge.” Either those, or this call for divine intervention will disappear down a convenient memory hole.

  • Larry

    So when all is said and done, when it passes, will these shit stains finally acknowledge that same sex marriage is just fine with their sky fairy.

  • Aquaria

    Prayer is their only hope?

    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    When that’s all that’s standing in the way of gay marriage somewhere, then the worm has turned a little more in the direction of justice.

    Serves them right.

  • MikeMa

    They need to pray harder and longer so as to stay busy and leave the rest of the not insane population alone.

  • Robert B.

    I can play with scare quotes, too! Watch:

    Meanwhile, “pro” family advocates in New Jersey are pleading for “prayer” from across the nation.

    May the people of each state rally to support “God” given marriage and may “God” give “supernatural” assistance where it’s needed!

    Heehee, it’s fun because it makes my opponents’ position look stupid and wrong without actually refuting it at all!

  • dingojack

    Anyone check out the passages quoted. The first two sound like FRC has big, fat hard-on for the Prez. The next three sound like they are preying to aid the legislature, and the last two are injunctins against the evils of divorce, take that Newtie!

    Dingo

  • http://festeringscabofrealityblogspot.com fifthdentist

    God told me he wants all of his people to pray without ceasing from 7 a.m-7 p.m. on Nov. 6. They are not to eat or drink or leave their residences between those times for any reason.

    They should pray for guidance for whom to cast their votes on Nov. 7.

  • eric

    What does a law saying you are allowed to do something (these guys consider) sinful have to do with knowing better than God?

    They also never explain how stopping gay marriage ‘preserves’ straight marriage. That’s like saying we must outlaw kilts to preserve the wearing of pants.

    Meh. Like MikeMa, I hope they spend more time in prayer. I frankly can’t think of a better way to have my political opponents spend their time.

  • curtcameron

    What kind of supernatural intervention might they be hoping for? Maybe like how God did to the pharaoh in Exodus: that God will harden Chris Gregoire’s heart.

  • http://www.rodlamkey.net reverendrodney

    Divine intervention worked for Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain. May it work as well for the FRC.

    I just wonder what “research” the FRC does when all their questions are answered in the bible.

  • Reginald Selkirk

    Woman set to marry building undeterred by demolition work

    Babylonia Aivaz’s bride-to-be is a 107-year-old warehouse that sits at 10th and Union in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. She has been planning to enter into what she described as “a gay marriage” with the building.

    “If corporations can have the rights as people, so can buildings,” said Aivaz, referencing a Supreme Court decision on political advertising.

    …

    I haven’t figured out if this is worse than Santorum’s projections of man-on-dog sex or not.

  • Mr Ed

    I think the only thing holding god back is the lack of commitment by his followers. They need to make an offering to god such as a vow of silence (both in person and the internet).

  • Hercules Grytpype-Thynne

    Prayer. It’s the least you can do.

  • Michael Heath

    Ed writes:

    They don’t say what kind of “supernatural assistance” God might give here. What could it possibly be? I suppose he could theoretically change the minds of legislators who would otherwise vote for the bill, but that clearly contradicts that whole free will thing that they use as an excuse to get out of the problem of evil.

    Well, God could remind them to ignore that whole ‘love thy neighbor’ passage and vote for bigotry and if not, he’ll personally see to it that they burn in Hell for infinity. A place he intelligently designed for people just like them. That way they technically could choose to support the FRC’s position without violating the whole free will thing, kinda like the Godfather’s, ‘making you an offer you can’t refuse’ proposal.

    I also find it totally unsurprising while thoroughly hypocritical and deceitful that the FRC failed to inform their supporters that Sen. Haugen, whose name they raise, came to her decision based on the Bible’s second of only two New Covenant commands. Cite: http://goo.gl/avbuF

  • scienceavenger

    Robert B said: Heehee, it’s fun because it makes my opponents’ position look stupid and wrong without actually refuting it at all!”

    Indeed, this little rhetorical trick of the right needs to be pointed out more. Whenever you see scare quotes, translate them as saying “I think this is wrong, but I can’t make a logical argument why”.

  • Johnny Vector

    Eric, I am totally stealing your pants/kilts metaphor! I will happily pay you one internets for the privilege.

  • dogmeat

    If “God’s” past record (and targeting) is any indicator, folks in New Orleans might want to move to higher ground…

  • d cwilson

    I wonder what it’s like to know you’re on the wrong side of history and your invisible friend can’t do a thing about it.

  • http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/User:Modusoperandi Modusoperandi

    eric “They also never explain how stopping gay marriage ‘preserves’ straight marriage.”

    Because if gays can get married (and, as we all know, legalization equals societal approval) all the “hetero” males in the Christian Right will jettison their cold and unhappy marriages, leaving their confused and distant wives in exchange for State approved gayhomomansex.

  • http://peicurmudgeon.wordpress.com/ peicurmudgeon

    Unfortunately for them, Divine died in 1988.

  • Pierce R. Butler

    Maybe Yahveh will harden Senator Haugen’s heart.

    Or send a plague of locusts, and/or a [unknown collective noun] of frogs.

    Or re-confirm his pro-life credentials by killing the firstborn of every Washington family and of every Washington beast (or at least the cattle: Ex. 11:05 and 12:29 don’t exactly agree).

  • John Phillips, FCD

    Is there any US group with Family in its name that doesn’t stand for the exact opposite of what the word implies or isn’t bigotted to the extreme against those they portray as the ‘other’.

  • whoops12

    Got curious and did a little research on the Bible verses. Unless there’s subtext, here’s what I found:

    – the Judges verses are from the story of Samson

    – the Nehemiah verse is “God will strengthen my hand” in building a wall to ‘protect’

    – the Psalm is “people will be willing”

    – the Isaiah is “Hi, dont’ be scared, I’m God, I’m here.”

    – the Matthew is, “I married’em, *you* can’t mess with that” (mentions man cleaving to wife, but what if one of a male/male couple is a sub?)

    – the Mark is a repeat of the Matthew

    so their point is….exactly…*what*?

  • F

    Just what are god’s stats on supernatural assists? Pretty low, last I checked.

  • F

    Reginald Selkirk

    I think she is doing multiple levels of social commentary there.

  • exdrone

    The FRC is indirectly suggesting a solution to the nation’s partisan divide. Let’s propose that all social bills only require support of a simple majority of liberal politicians to pass into law but are subject to “divine veto”. The latter intervention would need to be acclaimed by the liberal politicians, but of course, it would be so obvious that it would be undeniable. How could social conservatives argue with that?

  • pa747sp

    Years ago, I prayed that anyone involved with the FRC would lead futile lives full of delusion, hatred and anger.

    Guess what, my prayers were answered!

  • Tsu Dho Nimh

    This is Washington … Mount St, Helens WAS the warning, just a bit early.

  • D. C. Sessions

    They don’t say what kind of “supernatural assistance” God might give here.

    Hitting Oklahoma with a tornado is always a good bet.

  • Nemo

    I suppose he could theoretically change the minds of legislators who would otherwise vote for the bill, but that clearly contradicts that whole free will thing that they use as an excuse to get out of the problem of evil.

    All he has to do is harden their hearts, like he did with Pharaoh. That doesn’t violate their free will, because, well, just because.

  • John Hinkle

    Nothing fails like prayer.