VOICES FOR MARRIAGE 

District Hearing Presentation

I’ve been a pastor in San Antonio for 29 years. I care deeply about the welfare of our city. Tonight I am speaking as the designated representative for The Gathering, an Association of pastors and ministry leaders who receive the 90 e-mails announcing each monthly meeting. On their behalf, I am speaking against the allocation of $300,000 in the proposed budget for health insurance coverage for unmarried domestic partners. I speak against it on two counts. The first and more important is the moral reason.

Marriage is the foundational relationship in every society and has been from the beginning up to now. A vote for benefits for unmarried partners is a vote against upholding the institution of marriage. We don’t want our council members to vote against upholding the institution of marriage. I’m pretty sure you don’t either. You need to tell your council member “Don’t vote against marriage!”

There's a proverb that goes: “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the battle was lost.”

Strong families make a strong city. A single strong marriage is important to the health of a city just like the nail was important to the battle. I believe a married man or woman makes a stronger family than an unmarried couple. If there’s a vacancy in our city, I believe the qualified applicant who believes in the institution of marriage is a better hire for the health of the city than one who doesn’t.

What do you think? Who is going to have more health claims and ultimately cost the city more? The employee who holds to the sacredness of marriage or the one who doesn’t? The one who believes in marriage is going to cost the city less. That’s the one who should be sought out for hiring.

 If you’re a God-fearing person you should do two things before you leave this room. You should thank your council member for the work he/she is doing on behalf of your district. And you should tell him/her “Don’t vote against marriage!” Those of us who serve a constituency are ultimately accountable to - and our service will be judged by - the One who established marriage in the beginning.

The second reason our pastors’ group is against providing benefits for unmarried domestic partners is economic. We don’t believe this is the best way to spend $300,000 of taxpayers’ money. If the $300,000 was divided up between the ten districts and your Council Member had $30,000 additional discretionary funds, would providing benefits for unmarried domestic partners be YOUR top priority? I don’t think so. If I were in this District, I’d be putting that windfall into

____________________, ____________________, and ____________________. Those are the felt needs expressed here tonight.

Once again citizens of District ____, tell your Council Member these two things, “Thank you” and “Don’t vote against marriage!”