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A Call to Stand |
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Standing up for what Scripture teaches is something that I have advocated all of my life. I admit that I have not always felt it necessary to be visible. However, at noon on Saturday, October 26, 2003, I was one of approximately 2500 people - one of the largest groups ever to gather on the lawns of New Brunswick's Legislative Building - to attend the rally A Call To Stand which supported the Biblical definition of marriage. The rally organizers, led by Rev. Karl Csaszar (President of the Fredericton Chapter of the Canadian Family Action Coalition), spoke clearly and with conviction of the need for Canadians to protect the traditional definition of marriage. That is, in the eyes of God and the Christian believer, marriage is the union of one man and one woman, exclusive of all others, until they are parted by death. I was particularly impressed that MP Elsie Wayne from Saint John was in attendance. Along with many other MP's across Canada, Mrs. Wayne has taken a strong, visible stand supporting the traditional definition of marriage. Thunderous applause for her strong Christian principles resulted when she was introduced by television's Rev. David Mainse from "100 Huntley Street". Among the sea of faces at the rally, there were people of all ages, from many parts of the province and from many denominations. Joining them allowed me to express my support for the sanctity of marriage as defined by God's Word. I was visible! Among the speakers who made a definite impact on me were Rev. David Fisher of St. Paul's United Church of Canada in Fredericton and the Roman Catholic Bishop, J. Faber MacDonald, Bishop of Saint John. Both men spoke with passion and clarity about the necessity to follow without wavering what God teaches throughout Scripture. Rev. Fisher spoke specifically of our need to have a right relationship with Christ. In so doing, I thought to myself, "Wow, what a message for the non-believer to hear on a chilly October Saturday!" Bishop MacDonald held me spellbound as he used illustrations from the Bible to protect the traditional definition of marriage. I awaited each word with eager anticipation as he illustrated his support of this definition using the marriage feast that Jesus attended at Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11) and also comparing the marriage of a man and a woman to the relationship between Christ and His church. My heart was filled with joy as I listened to God's Word being read from that outside dais for all to hear. Even more, I was so glad that the fifty protesters who represented the gay and lesbian community with their placards suggesting "equality for all" got to hear what the inerrant Word of God had to say about marriage. Indeed it was a wonderful experience for me to have stood up and to have been counted as one who is not ashamed to profess publicly that I believe wholeheartedly what the Bible teaches, including what it teaches about the sanctity of marriage. I left the grounds of the Legislature knowing that God had been honored by the presence of believers who, like me, were not ashamed to stand firm in supporting the truth presented by the speakers at the rally. I left knowing that ALL people attending "A Call To Stand" had heard the truth from God's Word. As I was making my way from the grounds, I stopped in my tracks, literally, when after a closing prayer a group of fellow believers broke into a spontaneous singing of our national anthem. Although I had voiced my opposition during the summer (via e-mail) to the Federal Justice Minister to changing the definition of marriage to include same sex couples, I know that I had remained invisible. As a result of attending the October 26 rally, I am now a visible supporter for God and His Word. I answered "A Call To Stand".
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