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President Bush Calls Massachusetts Gay 'Marriage' Ruling "Very Activist"

However, pro-family group "greatly disappointed" with President's endorsement of civil unions

WASHINGTON, December 17, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an interview with ABC News last night, President George W. Bush spoke with ABC's Diane Sawyer about the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision which said barring marriage from homosexuals violated the state constitution. "Let me tell you," said Bush, "the court, I thought, overreached its bounds as a court. It did the job of the legislature. It was a very activist court in making the decision it made. As you know, I'm a person who believes in judicial restraint, as opposed to judicial activism that takes the place of the Legislative Branch."

Asked if he supported a Constitutional amendment, Bush said, "If necessary, I will support a constitutional amendment which would honor marriage between a man and a woman, codify that, and will - the position of this administration is that whatever legal arrangements people want to make, they're allowed to make, so long as it's embraced by the state or starts at the state level."

Sawyer asked if the President would leave it at a state issue. Bush replied, "That's right. Except and unless judicial rulings undermine the sanctity of marriage. In which case, we may need a Constitutional amendment."

Bush noted that "tolerance and belief in marriage aren't mutually exclusive points of view." Pressed by Sawyer - "Are they sinners? Are gays sinners?" Bush replied, "We're all sinners. I think we're all sinners. One of my favorite Bible verses says, 'Why would I take a speck out of your eye when I have a log in my own?' ... and having said that, however, I do believe in the sanctity of marriage. ... but I don't see that as conflict with being a tolerant person or an understanding person."

Meanwhile, the pro-family organization, Concerned Women of America (CWA), has expressed serious concern about the president's apparent endorsement of homosexual civil unions.

In an article today on the CWA website, the organizations states, "The president is right on marriage, but tragically wrong on civil unions. Whether it's done by a state, a court or the federal government, creating counterfeit marriage is immoral and destructive. It is not compassionate to create incentives for people to engage in homosexual behavior which leads to rampant disease and early death, especially among homosexual men."

Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel states that "The President has courageously led the war on terrorism. We were counting on him to exhibit the same leadership in the war on marriage. His stated position on civil unions is greatly disappointing, and we hope he reconsiders what's at stake."

See the transcript of the interview:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/US/bush_sawyer_excerpts_3_031216.ht...

See the CWA article at
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/5010/MEDIA/family/index.htm

See also Bush Comments on Marriage Alarm Supporters and Detractors
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200312\CUL20031217a...

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