Christian Groups Vow to Fight Calif. Gay 'Marriage' Ruling
SAN FRANCISCO – Christians of all walks of life are responding to the decision by the California Supreme Court to legalize gay "marriage" Thursday with a rallying cry to fight the ruling by any means necessary.
James Dobson, founder and chairman of the nation's leading pro-family group, Focus on the Family, said the ruling was an "outrage."
"The [justices of the California Supreme Court] have undermined and endangered the basic building block of society (marriage), which has been honored and preserved in every nation on earth through most of human history," he decried in a statement.
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Although pro-family advocates everywhere described the decision by the court to rule in favor of gay "marriage" as "devastating," Dobson said that Christian groups would be determined to ensure that the ruling will never be realized in the state of California.
"It will be up to the people of California to preserve traditional marriage by passing a constitutional amendment in the November elections. Only then can they protect themselves from this latest example of judicial tyranny," Dobson said.
The effort to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay "marriage" first gained steam in California earlier this year after the state supreme court began to hear the arguments for gay "marriage."
Many pro-family groups refer to Proposition 22 – a measure approved by over 60 percent of California voters back in 2000 that defined marriage as a "union between a man and a woman" in the state Family Code – as proof that the effort to pass a constitutional ban on gay "marriage" continues to be a strong reflection of the popular will of the people.
"[T]he California Supreme Court today overturned Proposition 22, the initiative passed in 2000 by more than 61 percent of California's voters," ProtectMarriage.com, the main supporter of the amendment effort, wrote in a statement on its Web site Friday. "The Court declared a right to 'same-sex marriage' in direct opposition to the definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman, established by Proposition 22."
Over 1 million signatures have been collected to place the gay "marriage" ban on ballot for the public to vote on. The initiative is still being processed by the State Registrar.
If a majority of state residents vote positively on the ban this November, the amendment will overturn and nullify the decision by the California Supreme Court – an outcome that Christian groups are banking on.
"The only way Californians can reverse this outrageous decision and restore common sense is by passing the ProtectMarriage.com initiative on the November ballot," Bill May, chairman of Catholics for the Common Good and spokesperson for Stand with Children, explained. "That would put the definition of marriage in the state constitution – putting it out of reach of judges and politicians."
Brian Brown of the National organization of Marriage said that he was certain that the popular will of the people would ultimately prevail.
"I do think it will activate and energize Californians," Brown said, speaking of the gay "marriage" ban, according to The Associated Press. "I'm more confident than ever that we will be able to pass this amendment come November."
Pending the ruling of California Supreme Court, gay couples will be eligible to file for marriage licenses within 30 days.
Christian groups have requested that state officials issue a "stop" on gay "marriage" licenses until after the results of the November ballot.
Since 2004, when the Massachusetts State Supreme Court made its ruling to recognize gay "marriage," 26 states have passed a constitutional ban on the practice, while over a dozen others have passed laws limiting or outlawing it.
