June 3, 2008
You’ve heard a lot about the fracas over marriage in California. Some true and some false, but above all you know the opposition there is fierce and committed. However, just one state north, in Oregon, the demands for court-ordered same-sex “marriage” is not proving as successful.
An Oregon appeals court has ruled that Measure 36, the state’s constitutional amendment affirming marriage as the union between one man and one woman, strongly voted for by the people, is, in fact, constitutional. The ruling upholds the right of the people to decide and is one we applaud. Unlike their neighbors to the south, Oregon judges do not appear prone to usurping their constitutional role. ADF provided crucial funding to Kelly Clark, the attorney who successfully defended the amendment before the court on behalf of our ally, the Defense of Marriage Coalition.
“The government should promote and encourage strong families. In this case, advocates of homosexual behavior attempted to overrule the will of the people, who recognize that the best environment for children is within a marriage between one man and one woman,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Brian Raum. “Real marriage is the foundation for strong families, and strong families are the foundation for strong communities.”
Those determined to force same-sex “marriage” have never been shy in their attempts to impose their agenda over the wishes of the people, no matter what the law says. Case in point: Oregon voters approved Measure 36 by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent in November 2004. Still, the losing same-sex “marriage” advocates continue to drag the issue into the courts.
ADF expects that this victory, too, will be appealed (to the Oregon Supreme Court). Please be in prayer for this incredibly important case.
The deep pockets of those demanding that their agenda be imposed on the rest of us paired with the decisions of activist judges are the reason a legal issue even exists over the definition of marriage. When the people speak, they are firm – marriage is for one man and one woman. In state after state, when the people have been allowed to vote on marriage, they have overwhelmingly recognized that it is the union of one man and one woman.
The California Supreme Court’s fabricated redefinition of marriage is anything but the end of the road. Voters there should to have the opportunity to approve a marriage amendment on the ballot in November. Based on what’s happened in other states, we expect the ballot measure to be challenged by those who don’t want the people to settle the issue. In fact, we just received word of another victory over a legal challenge to the marriage amendment passed by Wisconsin voters in 2006. However, those determined to advocate their sexual agenda will not give up. We must be equally diligent in our defense. Together, on our knees we can and will win!