Protect Marriage

I have to get on my soapbox for a bit here and declare my support, and encourage my friends & family living in California to support Proposition 8, which is on the November ballot. Here are some of the reasons I'm supporting Proposition 8:

In 2000 over 61% of Californians voted in favor of Proposition 22 to reaffirm that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. However, because this language was not put into the state Constitution when it was approved, four activist judges from San Francisco wrongly overturned the people’s vote. The judges decided this in a narrow 4-3 decision. As a political science grad, I take great issue with judges deciding any issue that should be left up to the voters. In November 2008, Proposition 8 gives California voters the opportunity to reverse the court’s decision and restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman in the state Constitution.

I strongly believe that marriage is sacred, ordained of God from before the foundation of the world. In 1995, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” declared the following unchanging truths regarding marriage: "We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children . . . The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

The Proclamation also teaches, “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” The account in Genesis of Adam and Eve being created and placed on earth emphasizes the creation of two distinct genders: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Marriage between a man and a woman is central to God's plan for his children. The sacred nature of marriage is closely linked to the power of procreation. Only a man and a woman together have the natural biological capacity to conceive children. This power of procreation – to create life and bring God’s spirit children into the world – is sacred and precious. Misuse of this power undermines the institution of the family and thereby weakens the social fabric. Strong families serve as the fundamental institution for transmitting to future generations the moral strengths, traditions, and values that sustain civilization. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms, “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society.”

Marriage and family are vital instruments for rearing children and teaching them to become responsible adults. While governments did not invent marriage, throughout the ages governments of all types have recognized and affirmed marriage as an essential institution in preserving social stability and perpetuating life itself. Hence, regardless of whether marriages were performed as a religious rite or a civil ceremony, married couples in almost every culture have been granted special benefits aimed primarily at sustaining their relationship and promoting the environment in which children are reared. A husband and a wife do not receive these benefits to elevate them above any other two people who may share a residence or social tie, but rather in order to preserve, protect, and defend the all-important institutions of marriage and family.

Proposition 8 does not take away any rights or benefits from gay or lesbian domestic partners. Under California law, "domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections and benefits" as married spouses. (Family Code §297.5.) There are no exceptions to this. Proposition 8 will not change this.

Proposition 8 protects children from being taught in public schools that same-sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage. The establishment of same-sex marriage as a civil right will inevitably require mandatory changes in school curricula. When the state says that same-sex unions are equivalent to heterosexual marriages, the curriculum of public schools will have to support this claim. Beginning with elementary school, children will be taught that marriage can be defined as a relation between any two adults and that consensual sexual relations are morally neutral. Classroom instruction on sex education in secondary schools can be expected to equate homosexual intimacy with heterosexual relations. These developments will create serious clashes between the agenda of the secular school system and the right of parents to teach their children traditional standards of morality.

Proposition 8 also retains freedom of religious expression & speech. It is likely, if Proposition 8 fails, that any religious organization that failed to embrace same-sex unions would lose their tax-exempt status. For example, when same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, Catholic Charities in Boston had to stop offering adoption services because of their religious belief to only place children in homes with both a mother and a father.

For more information than I could possibly include here, please visit the following link:

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

I hope everyone will vote and won't stand by and say this issue doesn't affect them - it affects all of us, including our children.