NC Values Coalition Denounces Tills’ And Burr’s Votes To Advance “Pathway To Polygamy Bill”

The US Senate today (Wednesday) advanced HR8404, or “Pathway to Polygamy” bill which federally recognizes same sex marriage and also state-sanctioned polygamous marriages allowing one person to be married to multiple partners. The legislation also fails to protect religious freedoms of churches, tax-exempt entities and businesses.

“This bill redefines marriage between one man and one woman to include same-sex couples, requires federal recognition of some polygamous marriages, and puts freedoms of religious entities at grave risk,” said NC Values Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald. “Voters are tired of sending elected representatives to Washington who betray their values. We need true leaders who stand for truth and their constituents’ values; instead, Senators Tillis and Burr are charting a collision course with their base voters.”

The original version passed by the US House in July, was denounced by the NC Values Coalition and national groups in a letter to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Senate advanced an altered version. However, changes to the bill do not address the underlying problems of threats to marriage and religious freedom, and crafty adjustments were made to mask significant consequences. For instance, the substitute bill still allows traditional polygamous relationships where one person is married individually to multiple people.

This bill acknowledges it may possibly infringe on religious/conscience beliefs but only states that those who had their rights infringed may still invoke existing legal protections, such as the First Amendment or Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Simply put, the bill puts religious freedom in jeopardy, but the solution is to apply existing law in hopes the plaintiff is not subject to a liberal, activist judge.

“Senators Tillis’ and Burr’s votes are an assault on religious freedom, because the bill puts faith-based adoption and foster care agencies, businesses, non-profits and churches all in the line of fire for litigation. Instead of standing up for the religious freedoms of North Carolinians, they chose the side of activists and political expediency. Senator Tillis actually led efforts to secure votes for this legislation, and voters will remember this during his next election,” said Fitzgerald.

10 COMMENTS

  1. Burr is retiring, so he’s going to do as much damage as he can. As for Senatard Tillis, he’s no different than Cunningham.

  2. The legislation states that a marriage is between 2 individuals. Not seeing where polygamy is allowed.

    Please see: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8404/text

    “No person acting under color of State law may deny—

    (1) full faith and credit to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State pertaining to a marriage between 2 individuals, on the basis of the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals; or

    (2) a right or claim arising from such a marriage on the basis that such marriage would not be recognized under the law of that State on the basis of the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals.

    For the purposes of any Federal law, rule, or regulation in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual’s marriage is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State.”

  3. How can anyone be surprised by this?!?!? Both Tillis and Burr voted multiple times in the NC Leg to continue to allow children aged 14 to marry in NC. Both men obviously think it is OK for anyone to marry anyone else (regardless of age or gender). Shame on EVERYONE who voted these RINOs into Congress.

  4. HR8404 does far more than that. It allows pastors who decline to perform same-sex “weddings” to be civilly sued by the offended party. This is a clear and calculated attack on Christians and the 1st amendment. Get your churches ready, folks. Your pastor is either going to be dragged into court, or capitulate into going against their convictions and principles and Scripture itself to avoid lawsuit. Be rooted in the Gospel, stand firm to the end…God said this would happen (John 15:18-19; 17:14).

    Read the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8404/text

  5. Tillis needs to have a challenger when he is up for reelection. Ted Budd better remember what he campaigned on. If he does, he will continue to get my vote.

    • Tillis had a challenger in the primary but no one appeared to vote for the challenger. Of course knowing what we know now about elections and what is being shown to us in AZ, Tillis was prob selected not elected!

  6. Our representatives lack creativity. While ‘marriage’ was defined as between a man and women (who can biologically multiply), a paring of same sex should be assigned another word or acronym. I’d say FWB (Friends With Benefits) but that term is already being used in heathendom.

    • “Civil Union” is what we used to call it. Maybe it’s time just to get government out of the Church. Marriage is between a man, woman, and God. To me, it seems the State’s involvement is a direct violation of the separation that should exist between the two.

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