Charting His Own Course

Posted By Alan Greenblatt | February 26, 2008

The Indianapolis Star profiles Jon Elrod, a Republican state representative seeking a congressional seat in a March 11 special election. The Star focuses on areas where Elrod has broken with party orthodoxy, notably on the issue of same-sex marriage:

Elrod was the lone Republican in the Indiana House -- out of 49 -- who refused to sign a petition demanding a floor vote on an amendment that would effectively make gay marriages, already illegal, also unconstitutional. Elrod hasn't had a chance to vote on the matter yet. But he says he is willing to become the first Republican in the General Assembly to vote against the amendment in the four years it has been an issue.

...

The irony with Elrod's opposition to the marriage amendment is that Elrod said his position is rooted in a basic Christian principle. "I think marriage is a sacrament. That means it is something ordained by God. To have government dictating what that is is generally a bad idea," he said. "Right now we define marriage pretty poorly by the government. You are married just as long as you want to be. . . . "That is not at all what my church teaches." Elrod, who is single and a lifelong United Methodist, has seen marriages dissolve in front of him regularly through his law practice, which includes divorce cases. But he said his position on marriage -- that it is a church matter, not a state matter -- is also grounded in the writings of C.S. Lewis, the Christian sage behind "The Chronicles of Narnia," and a host of Christian books.

Alan Greenblatt

Alan Greenblatt is a GOVERNING correspondent.

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