Rally attenders brought homemade signs proclaiming a traditional view of marriage. Photos by Meredith Flynn
SPRINGFIELD | Lisa Sergent
Hundreds of people rallied on the steps of the Illinois Capitol Wednesday, February 20 in support of a traditional definition of marriage. They gathered in front of the statue depicting the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and listened as speakers urged them stand up as Christians and to make their voices heard inside the Capitol Building. The speakers included a Chicago pastor, a former lesbian and State Representative David Reis (R-Olney).
The crowd was at the Capitol both for the rally and for an opportunity to lobby their representatives to vote no on HB 10 when it comes to a vote in the House. Altogether an estimated 4,000 people stood in lines that snaked across the sidewalks as they waited to get through security and inside the Capitol.
Last week, the Senate passed the bill which would legalize same-sex marriage, by a vote of 34-21-2. The House is expected to vote the bill as early as the next few weeks.
Several Illinois Baptists were on hand inside the Capitol. The Illinois Baptist spoke with some of them, including Pastor Don Full, Havana Southern Baptist Church. Full told the newspaper he was in attendance because, “This is important for me today simply because it’s God’s will as scripture tells us that marriage consists of one man and one woman. I’m here to support that part of my faith and the doctrine that God has established for the home.
“I reminded my church this past Sunday that evil prevails when good men and women do nothing. I found it necessary to be here to honor what God has established as far as the home.”
Pastor Alan Newman, Faith Missionary Baptist Church, Christopher, called marriage our “first institution that God created.”
Newman shared he felt it was important to be at the rally because, “It’s becoming more and more evident that if the church does not stand up and let their ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and their ‘no’ be ‘no’ we are definitely heading for more and more family meltdown.”
The rally and lobby day were sponsored by the Illinois Family Institute.
Representative David Reis (R-Olney) speaks to the crowd under the gaze of Abraham Lincoln on the steps of the Illinois State Capitol.
Nine-year-old Denzel Brown of Aurora snaps a photo during one of the speeches. Brown wore one of the yellow buttons supporting “Marriage: One Man One Woman.”
Organizers estimate more than 4,000 people attended either the rally or an organized “lobby day,” where opponents of same-sex marriage were encouraged to visit their representatives and ask them to vote no on HB 10.
Rally attenders pray together to close the event.
iB2 News 
Opposition to equal justice, in this case marriage equality, is not compatible with the Gospel of Christ. I left the Southern Baptist Church at age 24 (38 years ago), largely due to the hatred directed toward gay people by those who claim to follow Jesus. After so many years of keeping silent in the face of the hostility, I realized that it would be best for me to find another religous affiliation, a group which honored the foundational ethical principle taught by Jesus of Nazareth, the Golden Rule.
I know all about the Bible passages that have been used against gay people. Those passages are not in keeping with the Gospel of Christ, just as other passages (such as ones supporting slavery) are not in keeping with the Gospel of Christ.
Please get to know those whom you are tempted to judge. You will find that we are also God’s children. Some of us are also your children, brothers or sisters, family members, neighbors, co-workers.
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