Tuesday’s voting results show the marriage amendment in North Carolina passing with over sixty-one percent of the vote and a margin of twenty percent ahead of the opposition.  It was extremely encouraging to learn that evangelist Billy Graham publically endorsed the marriage amendment effort, and rallied the faithful to the cause, saying, “At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage.  The Bible is clear – God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman.”  His son, Franklin Graham, and daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, also released video messages in support of the effort.  We hope the Graham family’s courageous actions, in addition to aiding the victory in NC, will encourage other pastors to actively engage on these critical cultural issues, and not let fear or apathy relegate them to the sidelines. 

Of course, each one of these victories for natural marriage in the hands of the voters conjures up conflicting emotions for those of us in the Land of Lincoln.  It is exciting to continue to see states protect their best interests from what started in Massachusetts with activist judges thrusting homosexual so-called “marriage” upon us. On the other, seeing citizens having the opportunity to vote on marriage serves as one more reminder of what has been repeatedly denied the voters in Illinois by those elected to represent them. 

Perhaps the greatest immediate impact of this latest victory for marriage for those of us here in Illinois is the demonstration of, once again, the obvious falsity of the Left’s arguments that all who oppose their agenda are ‘bigoted’, ‘ignorant’, or ‘irrational’.  The fact is that a vast majority of voters – over 50 million – in now 32 of 32 states have confirmed the definition of marriage as God designed it to be.  To label all those millions of faithful Americans with epithets seems, well, rather intolerant, doesn’t it?