California pastors and Christian leaders plan to be at the California Capitol today, defending the state constitution’s definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Even though this definition was declared invalid by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, Assemblyman Evan Low has introduced ACA 5 to repeal this definition fearing the U.S. Supreme Court might reverse its decision as it did on the question of abortion last year. ACA 5 also established marriage as a “fundamental right” with no definitional boundaries at all to limit marriage to adults or the number of people involved.
The bill’s first hearing will be in the Assembly Judiciary Committee this morning, June 13, starting at 9 a.m. in the State Capitol, Room 437. California Pastors and Christian leaders will testify against ACA 5 and express their support for the biblical definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman as the foundation for raising children and forming healthy families.
“Marriage is one of the most foundational institutions of human society,” said California Family Council President Jonathan Keller. “Even though death, divorce, or other circumstances may prevent the ideal, children deserve every opportunity to be raised by their biological mother and father in a lifelong union. Since the dawn of civilization, governments have historically acknowledged that a union between a man and a woman creates an optimal environment for the upbringing of future generations. Despite recent court rulings, faithful Christians remain steadfast in our commitment to God’s definition of marriage, which has been a source of societal stability for countless years.”
“Marriage is the bedrock of every culture,” said Pastor Jim Domen, MDiv and founder of ChurchUnited.com, representing over 2,500 English and Spanish-speaking California pastors. “When a man cleaves with a woman the two become one. The ability to naturally procreate produces the opportunity to have children. This fundamental and biological occurrence creates an environment for children to thrive. Sociologically, children are less dependent upon the government if they have a mom and a dad.”
Testifying against ACA 5 are:
- Pastor Jim Domen, MDiv and founder of ChurchUnited.com
- Sarah Sumner, PhD, coauthor of “Just How Married Do You Want to Be?”
