California voters passed Proposition 8, preventing the state from recognizing same-sex “marriage” with over 52% of the vote in 2008.
Since then, the U.S. Supreme Court mandated all states redefine marriage to include same-sex couples, but Prop. 8 still remains in the state constitution.
Now, Senator Scott Weiner (D- San Francisco) and Assemblyman Evan Low(D-Cupertino) are introducing a constitutional amendment ACA 5 to remove the traditional/biblical definition of marriage from California’s most authoritative legal document. If approved by the legislature and Governor Newsom, the issues will be placed on the 2024 ballot for voters to decide.
Weiner calls Prop. 8 “a stain on the constitution.” In reality, Prop. 8 is a crucial protection of the only family structure that protects children’s rights and secures the foundation of our society.
ABC News reports that “The California Family Council was one of the original proponents of Proposition 8. It stands by it and expects a long debate.”
“Marriage is a sacred bond. It was created by God and we do believe that marriage is between a man and a woman,” says CFC President Jonathan Keller. “We also think it’s very important for religious liberty that people of faith be able to continue to practice their deeply-held religious beliefs.”
“We welcome the good faith public debate, and we hope it actually leads us to a better, respectful understanding between our friends who are in the LGBT community and between people of faith,” Keller continued.
The safety and well-being of children must be included in this good faith public debate. Children don’t have the knowledge or power to advocate for themselves, and they bear the brunt of the consequences when it comes to marriage and family issues.
Children born outside God’s design of a life-long heterosexual union are at greater risk for homelessness, drug use, child poverty, teen suicide, academic failure, teen pregnancy, and more. “Every social ill we are facing today is because this country, culturally and legally, is getting the family wrong,” says Them Before Us author Katy Faust. If traditional marriage is not the law of the land, the institution of the family will crumble, and children will continue to needlessly suffer at the behest of adult desires.
Moreover, the removal of Prop 8 could also open the door to persecution of those who hold a biblical view of marriage. As is already happening in the cases of Christian bakery owner Jack Phillips or graphic designer Lori Smith, the right of Christians to refuse to send a message they disagree with could be on the chopping block.
Lastly, it simply doesn’t make sense to equate a marriage with a homosexual relationship, as the two are fundamentally different. One provides a stable foundation for families and society as a whole through reproduction and complementarity, while the other, by its nature, cannot.
The true definition of marriage, a union between one man and one woman, must be the law of the land in order for families to flourish and society to thrive.
