Boxer Manny Pacquiao comes out against same-sex marriage just after President Obama supports it

International boxing star voices opinon opposing gay marriage

BY DANIEL O'LEARY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 1:48 AM
Updated: Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 1:57 AM

Beloved boxing star Manny Pacquiao (l.) and President Barack Obama have very different views on same-sex marriage.

President Barack Obama came out in favor of same-sex marriage last week, but he won't be able to count on support from boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

The immensely popular boxer - and the first-ever to win titles in eight different weight classes - contradicted the President's views on same-sex marriage in a recent interview.

Speaking with the National Conservative Examiner and asked about the President's stance, Pacquiao was quoted as saying that "God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other."

Last Wednesday, President Obama said of he and the First Lady, in an interview with ABC: "We are both practicing Christians, and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others, but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it's also the golden rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated."

Pacquiao also went to his personal religious beliefs to illustrate his stance on the issue:

"God's words first... obey God's law first before considering the laws of man," he told the Examiner. "It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old."

The charismatic fighter is a devout Catholic - and a Congressman in his homeland of the Philippines. His stance on same-sex marriage seems to be in line with his voting record in his home country - as he opposed a law last year that would make contraception accessible to most Filipinos and call for mandatory sex education.

The Pac-Man - long considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world - is listed at No. 4 on Forbes' list of most influential athletes in the world. His next fight is slated for June 9 against Timothy Bradley while boxing fans have long awaited a bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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