California Voters Will Get Chance to Overturn Gay Marriage

Two months after the California Supreme Court struck down the ban on "gay marriage" on the Golden State, the same court on July 16 voted in favor of allowing a proposed constitutional marriage amendment to remain on the November ballot. This amendment will allow every citizen to speak out in favor of either gay marriage or in favor of a biblical design of marriage being the union of one man and one woman.

If passed, the amendment, known as "Proposition 8," would reverse the high court's 4-3 decision that made California the second state to recognize "gay marriage."  Michael Foust of Baptist Press gives a full report of a legal decision that could ultimately be a victory for traditional marriage. An excerpt:

Without comment the justices denied to hear a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and other liberal and homosexual activist groups that sought to prevent the initiative -- which easily qualified for the ballot with 1.1 million submitted signatures -- from going before voters.

Some of the legal arguments were viewed as long shots, but pro-family attorneys -- having lost confidence in the justices after the May ruling -- remained at least somewhat concerned about what the court might do. The liberal groups argued that the amendment would "revise" the constitution and take away constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights; such fundamental revisions cannot be placed on the ballot via voter initiative and must be approved by two-thirds of the legislature.

Churches in the state seem to be getting behind the amendment. In late June more than 1,600 pastors and church leaders gathered at roughly 100 sites for a conference call to pray for and plan strategy for the amendment's success. Focus on the Family's James Dobson and the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins took part, as did David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., who is known nationwide for his television and radio ministry.

Arizona and Florida will also have marriage amendments on the ballot in November. Amendment supporters from the three states will convene by conference call on July 30 to focus on strategies to mobilize local churches.

Let us pray that California voters will exercise wisdom as they execute such an important stewardship as casting votes and that, if it would please God, the biblical view of marriage -- one man and one woman united in holy matrimony for a lifetime -- will carry the day.

In view of these opportunities, one hopes that thoughtful believers throughout the country will arise and speak with honor and boldness of the irrationality of 'gay marriage.'  There can be no such thing, for marriage is always the linking of two dissimilar persons into one new union. 1 Peter 2:15-16 urges us toward this kind of involvement: "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God" (ESV).

May God-fearing Christians humbly call to account our legislatures and our culture for seeking to remake God's gift of marriage in their own image. After all, holy matrimony is God's idea and therefore God's to oversee, grant to whom he will, and cause to succeed. What is often called ‘gay marriage' in our land is neither holy nor matrimony.