Christian community treads lightly on marriage initiative

Myung Oak Kim, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 27, 2006 at midnight

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Some of the most powerful Christian groups in Colorado are giving a guarded response to a ballot initiative that seeks to prohibit legal recognition of same-sex couples.

The Colorado Catholic Conference and the National Association of Evangelicals have declined to take a stand on the measure sponsored by state Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, and retired car dealer Will Perkins, of Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, on the other hand, supports the Lundberg-Perkins effort to change the state constitution to prohibit government agencies from recognizing or creating "a legal status similar to that of marriage." Supporters soon will begin collecting petition signatures despite the threat of a state Supreme Court challenge.

Focus on the Family, the NAE and the Catholic Conference are all part of a coalition of Christian groups called Coloradans for Marriage, formed last year to campaign for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

The group debated whether to include language prohibiting domestic partnerships and civil unions - supported by Focus on the Family - but decided in January only to tackle the definition of marriage.

Jon Paul, executive director of Coloradans for Marriage, has taken a hands-off approach to the Lundberg-Perkins measure.

"We neither endorse nor condemn the amendment," he said this week.

He said he expects some volunteers for the marriage amendment will join the campaign for the Lundberg-Perkins amendment.

But as an organization, "we are not coordinating anything with their campaign," Paul said.

Leaders of the NAE and the Catholic Conference, including Archbishop Charles Chaput, have said the Lundberg-Perkins measure will not affect their strategy. He said they will continue to focus money and efforts on the marriage amendment.

"It's not that we're opposed to what Kevin and Will are doing," said Kyle Fisk, executive administrator for the NAE. "It's, for us, a matter of priorities."

"We're going to stay on message. We're going to talk about marriage. We're going to talk about the (marriage) amendment. The other things are periphery."

Tim Dore, executive director of the Catholic Conference, said his group wanted to tackle the marriage definition issue first and leave the domestic partnership question for later. But if both measures pass in November, the Catholic group would be pleased, he said.

Jim Pfaff, a family policy analyst for Focus on the Family, said his organization was not involved in the creation of the Lundberg-Perkins measure. They support the measure and are letting members know that sponsors are about to begin collecting petition signatures, he said.

Pfaff emphasized that his group's primary goal is supporting the marriage amendment.

Katy Atkinson, a local political consultant, said it's likely voters will be confused by numerous ballot measures on a similar issue.

Lundberg said his measure complements the marriage amendment. The Web site for his campaign provides prominent links to the Web site for the marriage amendment. But the marriage amendment site does not reciprocate.

He said he introduced his initiative in April after it became clear that an effort to let voters decide on giving benefits to domestic partners would succeed. He said he contacted the marriage amendment supporters before introducing the measure and that they did not express opposition.

"Some will be more supportive than others," Lundberg said. "I'm seeking help from anyone who is concerned with this issue."

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