What You Should Know
By State Senator Rev. Rubén DÃaz
32nd Senatorial District
You should know that this coming Saturday, April 25th, 117 buses will take more than 6,000 people to Washington, D.C. These buses are being donated by the National Organization for Marriage, led by my friend, Brian Brown.
The buses will leave from all parts of the New York metropolitan area - including Long Island where Apostle Carlos Luis Vargas, President of the International Freeport Bible Center is taking 20 buses, and New Jersey where Bishop Jose Lopez, President of the Evangelical Pastor’s Association of Hudson County is in charge of another 20. The buses will arrive in Washington, D.C. at 12:00 noon where a prayer vigil will take place in front of the United States Supreme Court. We will be joined by people of faith from all parts of the nation.
The purpose of this prayer vigil is to praise our God and to pray for the very important decision about same-sex marriage that the Supreme Court will render this year.
It is important for you to know that the United States Supreme Court is comprised of nine Justices, all nominated by the President, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Once confirmed and sworn in, they serve for life. (The only way their position can be vacated is reason of death or voluntary resignation.) Part of the important work of the Supreme Court is to interpret the U.S. Constitution that was written by our forefathers 228 years ago.
It is also important for you to know that 37 out of 50 states in our nation have legalized same-sex marriage by way of legislation or by the decision of State Court judges – not by the popular vote.
Some institutions have appealed these laws to the Supreme Court, claiming that what those 37 states have done by legalizing marriage of people of the same sex is not constitutional. According to those who are appealing the states’ decisions, their interpretation of the Constitution is based on the claim that the U.S. Constitution does not approve marriage of the same sex – a man with a man or a woman with a woman – only marriage of different sex: one man and one woman.
Know, my dear reader, that the nine Justices of the Supreme Court have accepted this appeal and they have decided to hear the Oral Arguments onApril 28th. They will hear arguments both pro and con and by June, they will render their decision.
Right now, no one knows if the Supreme Court will determine that same-sex marriage is legal or illegal. The only thing we know is that at least five of them will be part of the majority to finalize the decision.
It is important for you, my dear reader to know that the decision the Supreme Court renders – for or against same-sex marriage – will be one of the most important decisions this nation has ever seen. It will affect millions and millions, not only here in the U.S. but also in the Commonwealth Islands of Puerto Rico and Guam, and more than that: the whole world.
Therefore, we have decided to travel to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. where the Supreme Court is located, and there we will publicly praise our Lord and pray for His intercession so He could lead the minds of the Justices to make the right decision.
You should know that our sole purpose traveling to Washington is to pray and praise our God. We are not traveling to Washington to insult or disrespect anyone. We are traveling to Washington to exercise our public right to assembly and freedom of expression. This is our right and it should be respected as any other right.
In the end, our great and sovereign God, the Creator of heaven and earth, will be the One who will allow five or more of the Supreme Court Justices to decide if same-sex marriage is legal or not.
Like it or not, and whatever the final decision will be, we shall always give glory and honor to God, knowing as Christians that the only thing we can do is to pray and put into God’s hands any and all decisions.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is my call to all people of faith throughout the nation. That is why we are going to Washington, that is why we will pray in Washington – and that is why I will see you all in Washington on April 25th.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén DÃaz, and this is what you should know.
