Contact: David E. Smith, Illinois Family Institute, 773-858-6602

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Oct. 22, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Illinois Family Institute, along with the African-American Clergy Coalition, the Catholic Conference of Illinois and churches across the state, will hold an important Defend Marriage Lobby Day on Wednesday at the state Capitol to encourage lawmakers to protect and strengthen marriage instead of undermining it through Senate Bill 10.

WHO: Illinois Family Institute, Catholic Conference of Illinois, African-American Clergy Coalition, and Pastors from across the state

WHAT: Defend Marriage Lobby Day

WHEN: Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. CDT

WHERE: Illinois State Capitol, 401 S. 2nd Street, Springfield

"Children need both a mom and a dad. Both are fundamentally important," said David E. Smith, executive director of Illinois Family Institute. "Intentionally placing children in motherless or fatherless homes is a terrible violation of children's rights and needs. Marriage promotes healthy, natural families for the common good today and for future generations."

"We are also very concerned that people of faith have absolutely no conscience protections in SB 10," Smith added. "We should be free to live and work according to our beliefs. Forcing people of faith to surrender their deeply held beliefs in order to keep their jobs, maintain a state contract (like Catholic Charities), or run a business or ministry is wrongfully discriminatory."

Audio clip of David E. Smith's quote.