By Fred Jackson and Jody Brown
August 5, 2003

(AgapePress) - The congresswoman who has introduced the Federal Marriage Amendment in the U.S. House is expressing some frustration with political colleagues who don't think the legislation is necessary.

Marilyn Musgrave is a Republican from Colorado. The Christian legislator believes a constitutional amendment that enshrines God's definition of marriage is the only way to stop unselected judges from forcing homosexual marriage on a nation that does not want it.

"We now are seeing in our culture a great deal of judicial activism, and I do not believe that unselected judges who are virtually unaccountable to the voters should be making these decisions," Musgrave says. "That's why I think we need this constitutional amendment: to rein in the courts."

But she wishes more of her fellow Congress members would join her effort. Musgrave says while some politicians say they support traditional marriage, they are not willing to do anything to protect it from activist courts.

"Many times politicians who are liberal would like to hide behind the courts' decisions and say, 'Well, that's what the Supreme Court said, so that's the law of the land.' But I think that we have three branches of government, each with its appropriate role," she says.

Musgrave tells Associated Press it was not just because of her personal faith that she introduced the legislation. "I am a Christian and I have a Christian worldview," she says, "but I think we should be aware that all of the world's major religions -- not just Christianity, not just Judaism -- define marriage as a union between a man and a woman."

She counters those who might say she is pushing the legislation because she hates homosexuals. "I know what my motives are. There is no hatred, there is no rancor," she says.

"It's rather staggering sometimes to see the hatred that comes from people who are proponents of homosexual marriage, but I try to take all these things in stride -- and I believe it's best for our nation, it's best for children, it's best for families if we keep the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman."

Musgrave says she expects President Bush to back the marriage amendment, even though it is less than clear at this point whether he will actually do that.

But a close friend of the president says he thinks Bush will support the Federal Marriage Amendment. Christian musician Michael W. Smith says the president expressed his desire last week to protect traditional marriage, and has shown that he is willing to take the heat for decisions he believes are right.