League Warns Maine Next Without Vigilance

Rev. Jauhola-Straight unites two men

Under cover of darkness and with a constant local police presence, 37 homosexual New Hampshire couples participated in civil union ceremonies at the State Capitol in Concord on January 1, 2008, just after midnight.

There was much local and regional television and print media coverage of the event, which was organized by New Hampshire's radical homosexual lobby groups, Congregational (UCC), and Universalist Unitarian denominational ministers.  Reports from the Associated Press were published on the websites for Fox News and USA Today, among many others.

New Hampshire becomes the fourth New England state (along with Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts) to legally allow homosexual marriage or civil unions to be performed.  New Jersey is the only other state in America currently that formally recognizes the practice. The ministers who officiated the mass homosexual ceremonies were: Rev. Dr. Tess Baumberger of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Franklin, New Hampshire; Rev. Jed Rardin and Rev. Carlos Jauhola-Straight, both of the South Congregational Church (UCC) in Concord, New Hampshire;

Rev. Mary Wellemeyer

Rev. Emily Burr of the Kearsarge Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Andover, New Hampshire; Rev. Frank L. Irvine, Jr. (Retired) of Concord, New Hampshire; Rev. Dr. Calvin R. Genzel of the Old South Church (UCC) in Boston, Massachusetts; Rev. Mary Wellemeyer of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Manchester, New Hampshire; Rev. Dr. Leanne McCall Tigert of the Andover Newton (MA) Theological School and the Tigert Psychotherapy & Consulting Services in Concord, New Hampshire; and Rev. Michelle DeCoste (Retired), Director of Clinical Pastoral Education of the Havenwood/Heritage Heights (UCC) Retirement Center.

Two non-religious officiates were also present: New Hampshire State Representative Gail C. Morrison (D-Sanborton), and Sheila Quinn.  Both Morrison and Quinn are registered Justices of the Peace and 'out' lesbians.

New Hampshire's homosexual civil unions law gives all the rights and privileges of traditional marriage to homosexual couples.

The legislation that went into effect on January 1, 2008, was passed by the New Hampshire Legislature in 2007 by a combined 257-139 vote, and signed into law last May.

Leaders of both the New Hampshire Republican Party and New Hampshire's Cornerstone Policy Research both stated recently they would not lead an effort to overturn the newly enacted homosexual civil unions law, according to a news article in Seacoastonline.com.  The League issued a press release on the eve of the event which read: "With New Hampshire's enactment of its homosexual civil unions law, Maine becomes one of only two remaining New England states to not formally allow this deviant behavior.

Homosexual men await their ceremony

"The Christian Civic League of Maine supports the Biblical precept that all sex outside of traditional marriage, including homosexual behavior, is sin.  The celebration of this sin as seen in the events of January 1st in New Hampshire is wrong.

"As it has for over 110 years, the League will defend traditional marriage, defined as between one man and one woman only, in Maine, and continue to oppose homosexual civil unions."

Copies of the press release were made available both online prior to the event, and at the event, to the various media outlets present.

Maine Pastor Neil Farrar of Maine's Church on the Rock in Topsham publicly asked listeners of Maine's Christian radio station WBCI for a day of fasting and prayer on January 1, 2008 to acknowledge New Hampshire's homosexual civil unions law going into effect.

Midnight, January 1, 2008 in Concord, NH

From his RockTalk radio and online commentary, Farrar stated: "What [the homosexuals who participate in the civil unions ceremonies] fail to clearly understand is that their choice to not be accountable to God, will have an eternal bearing on not only this life, but also on eternity.  

Homosexual civil unions in New Hampshire are likely to be the subject of media interest throughout the first week of January, 2008, and possibly throughout the first half of the year. 

New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation U.S.Presidential primary is set for January 8, and recently the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, the Reverend V. Gene Robinson, announced plans in June to participate as a "bride" to his homosexual partner in a civil union ceremony.

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