PROVIDENCE — The same-sex marriage debate has prompted a radio ad war.

Last week, the months-old Rhode Island affiliate of the National Organization for Marriage hit the airwaves with a spot that urges listeners to call their state legislators and tell them: “Stop messing with marriage and get back to work.”

Prompted by the scheduling of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday night on a packet of bills for and against same-sex marriage, the ad revolves around an imaginary conversation between a child and an adult.

“Our kids will be taught a new way of thinking ... and soon, they will be thinking the unthinkable,” says the adult. “If my dad married a man, who would be my mom?” the child’s voice asks.

Then: “This is an urgent marriage alert ... Rhode Island legislators are holding hearings now on a same-sex marriage bill ... These are the same legislators who don’t have time to balance our budget, to restrain out-of-control spending or come to some kind of agreement on immigration, but they have time to mess with gay marriage? If you are outraged by legislators who can’t keep their priorities straight, go to NOMRhodeIsland.org.”

The local affiliate of the national organization that takes credit for helping to defeat a proposed same-sex ballot initiative in California was registered with the Rhode Island Board of Elections as a political action committee on June 30, 2008, by Maria C. Parker, Suite 809, 10 Dorrance St., Providence.

The local group’s Web site urges like-minded Rhode Islanders to show up for the Thursday night hearing, barrage their legislators with e-mails opposing the proposal introduced by Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, and “Pray: As often as you can, please pray for the defeat of the same-sex marriage bill and passage of the bill preserving marriage, pray for God to move the hearts of the members of the committee, pray for God to protect our State, pray for the sanctity of marriage, and pray for Christians to become united around this cause.”

Parker could not be reached for comment, but a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence confirmed yesterday that she is the same Maria Parker who, for years, was the chief legislative lobbyist and spokeswoman on abortion-related issues for the Diocese. He said she is “no longer employed by any diocesan agency or parish.”

Asked the role, if any, of the Diocese in this legislative campaign, spokesman Michael Guilfoyle said: “Members of NOM have met with various diocesan officials, however, there is no formal relationship between NOM and the Diocese of Providence. (It is possible, however, that NOM is working with individuals who identify themselves as Catholic and perhaps some parish priests who support traditional marriage.)”

In response to the ad campaign, members of Marriage Equality of Rhode Island began soliciting donations over the weekend for a response.

“The short version is that since 2:13 p.m. on Friday afternoon, when we sent out a plea to our listservs asking for our constituents to send us at least $10 each so we could mount a counter-ad campaign before the hearing,” spokeswoman Susan MacNeil said, and $2,700 has been raised. With that, she said, her group has purchased $2,430 of air-time so far for a radio spot that will begin running today.

The spot was not available for previewing yesterday, but MacNeil said: “We’re also approaching national partners to seek substantial funding for an ongoing media campaign we are calling ‘The Three R’s ... Respect, Recognition and Rights,’ which will be the framework for our media and educational initiatives.”

kgregg@projo.com