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The Hawaii Pastors Roundtable, declaring that God’s word is the highest law in the land, issued a statement Monday urging Hawaii to uphold traditional marriage.
The message from the round table, which includes Pastor Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope Christian Fellowship, Bishop Larry Silva from the Diocese of Honolulu and Kahu Curt Kekuna from Kawaiaha‘o Church, comes as state House and Senate leaders prepare for a special session on gay marriage next week.
The pastors cited the Book of Genesis for God’s plan that marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman.
"We are faced with one of the most divisive issues of our time with same-sex marriage. And although our hearts are broken by the strife and conflict caused by this controversial debate, we are also compelled by our love for the people of Hawaii to uphold God’s original design, marriage between one woman and one man, which best promotes healthy families and a stable society," said the round table, which represents more than 200 congregations and more than 175,000 members statewide.
"We affirm that people with same-sex attraction are a part of our community and they deserve dignity and respect. As this very important discussion continues at the Legislature, in the public square, and in homes all across our state, let us remember to treat each other with kindness and compassion."
House and Senate leaders met privately Monday afternoon on a special session that will open Monday. Gov. Neil Abercrombie called the special session in response to U.S. Supreme Court rulings in June that legally married gay couples are entitled to federal benefits.
Lawmakers are planning a hearing schedule and revising the latest draft of a bill that attempts to balance marriage equality with religious freedom. A hearing schedule could be announced as soon as today.
Two opponents of gay marriage, state Reps. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) and Gene Ward (R, Kalama Valley-Queen’s Gate-Hawaii Kai), have scheduled an informational briefing for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the state Capitol.
The briefing is expected to examine the potential consequences of gay marriage in the islands.
McDermott said he called the briefing because he does not think people will be given sufficient time to air their concerns about gay marriage at hearings during the special session.
Gay marriage advocates contend the Legislature is on track to approve the bill and, more broadly, that momentum is on their side nationally. The Senate overwhelmingly supports marriage equality, while the vote count is closer, but still a majority, in the House.
On Monday, New Jersey became the 14th state with marriage equality after Gov. Chris Christie announced he would not appeal a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay couples to wed. The District of Columbia also allows gay marriage.
"We’ll keep up our work on our end in terms of contacting our legislators that we know support the issue and continuing our outreach to the community members and businesses and just making our case," said Jacce Mikulanec, the Japanese American Citizens League representative with Hawaii United for Marriage.
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