WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) — On April 28, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear Obergefell v. Hodges, et al, which could decide the state of marriage in America for decades to come.
As part of the media, policy, and cultural battle being fought prior to the hearing, LifeSiteNews co-founder and Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen is joining a panel of experts to discuss the implications of the Court's decision. The panel is being sponsored by the Family Research Council on April 22 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and can be viewed online here.
Westen will join three other marriage experts to discuss this most important cultural, legal, and religious issue.
Westen will also be speaking at Human Life International on April 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. His presentation is called: “The Synod on the Family: Is there division brewing in the Church?”
The details of the Family Research Council event are below:
The Supreme Court and Marriage: What Happens after the Decision?
On April 28th the Supreme Court of the United States will hear OBERGEFELL V. HODGES, et al., cases which will decide whether state laws defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman violate the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The debate about marriage and human sexuality has been ongoing for decades, and this historic hearing will set the stage for the Court’s written opinion on the matter – expected in June.
To discuss the implications of these pending cases, FRC has brought together an exceptional panel of experts to discuss the marriage and sexuality issues before the Court. Included will be leading analysts who will discuss the roles constitutional law, statutes, social science, and the media will play in the Court’s decision. Panelists are:
Cathy Ruse, Esq. (moderator), is a Senior Fellow for Legal Studies at FRC and has devoted her professional career to promoting the dignity of the human person. Formerly the chief counsel to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, her professional experience spans the fields of communication, public policy, and law.
Gene Schaerr, Esq. is a graduate of Yale Law School and has clerked for former Chief Justice Warren Berger and for current Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Described by Legal Times as a “veteran Supreme Court and appellate advocate,” in 2014 Schaerr left his role at the firm Winston and Strawn where he was a partner and chair of the Appellate and Critical Motions Practice in order to defend Utah’s marriage law.
D. Paul Sullins, Ph.D. is a social science researcher and associate professor at Catholic University of America. Dr. Sullins research focuses on the application of quantitative methods to questions of cultural import, including the relationship between social and legal policy and Christian ethics.
John-Henry Westen is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of LifeSiteNews, the world's first and largest life and family daily news website. A veteran journalist and speaker, John-Henry has spoken around the world on the importance of marriage, and how love is the basis for opposition to redefining marriage. He is the author of thousands of articles on marriage and family, and his work has been published in hundreds of publications. John-Henry will bring a keen insight into how the battle to defend marriage has been waged around the world, and how those lessons can change the future of the battle here at home.”
Please join FRC on April 22nd from 12-1 p.m. Lunch will be served and a free webcast is available for those who are unable to attend in person.