{"id":17342,"date":"2012-10-02T20:15:13","date_gmt":"2012-10-03T00:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=17342"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:04:47","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:04:47","slug":"nfls-man-of-the-year-matt-birk-of-the-ravens-speaks-out-against-gay-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2012\/10\/nfls-man-of-the-year-matt-birk-of-the-ravens-speaks-out-against-gay-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL’s Man of the Year, Matt Birk of the Ravens, speaks out against gay marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The story, from the Baltimore Sun: <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ravens center Matt Birk is expected to film a video this week opposing Maryland\u2019s new same-sex marriage law, making him the second player on the team to take a public stand on the referendum.<\/p>\n

Birk, a Roman Catholic and father of six, is pressing a view opposite that of teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo<\/a>, the Ravens linebacker who is supporting the new law.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took a stance like other guys have done before me,\u201d Birk said Monday at team headquarters in Owings Mills. \u201cObviously, we all have opinions. \u2026 It\u2019s certainly a very inflammatory, very hot topic, because it\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

The video signals a new phase in the campaign against same-sex marriage, which until now has been focused mostly on some churches and online via fundraising emails. Supporters, on the other hand, have issued a steady stream of news releases and YouTube videos with prominent people endorsing their cause.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saved our videos for October. We\u2019ll start doing more of them,\u201d said Derek McCoy, executive director of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, which plans to release the Birk video as soon as Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The Baltimore Sun reported last week that both sides have reserved time with television stations to air commercials starting this month.<\/p>\n

Birk, who grew up in St. Paul, Minn., is also active in that state\u2019s marriage debate and recorded a 31\/2-minute Web-only video for the Minnesota Catholic Conference that was released Monday. He also wrote an opinion piece was published Sunday in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith good reason, government recognizes marriages and gives them certain legal benefits so they can provide a stable, nurturing environment for the next generation of citizens: our kids,\u201d Birk wrote.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 Meantime, you can watch Birk\u2019s video, released last weekend to battle the Minnesota initiative, below.<\/p>\n