Should California Pass Prop 8?

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Ms. McBride is technically correct: Prop. 8, by itself, will not require churches to perform gay weddings or schools to teach kindergarteners about same-sex marriages. Both things, however, are a logical next step.

If gays are given the right to wed, many won't merely be satisfied to have their ceremonies at churches that will tolerate their union. Plenty of gays out there want churches to change their positions on homosexuality despite the Bible's explicit prohibition of such behavior (see Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Jude 7), and it's very likely that some gay couple out there will attempt to invoke California's Unruh Act (which prohibits businesses from discrimination against protected groups) in an effort to force churches to open their doors and make their pastors available to perform gay weddings. Even if the courts were to side with the churches -- and First Amendment jurisprudence dictates that they should -- churches will have to either a) spend a great deal of money fighting to preserve their constitutionally protected right to adhere to strict biblical principles, or b) compromise their principles to avoid being sued. Legally, no church can, nor should, be forced to make that choice. Since there is grave potential for erosion of First Amendment religious liberties, voters should hit the brakes now by voting yes on Prop. 8.

As for homosexuality being taught in schools, the California legislature has already attempted to pass bills that would make pro- homosexual propaganda part of our school system. A first-grade class in San Francisco has already been taken on a field trip to see their lesbian teacher get married in a ceremony performed by the mayor at city hall. It's not a stretch to believe that before long kindergarten teachers will be forced to read such pro-gay children's books as "King and King" and "And Tango Makes Three" to their students. Nor is it difficult to believe that noted historical figures' alleged homosexuality will make its way into high school history books, even though such figures' sexual proclivities are something that students have absolutely zero need to know. It's one thing to teach tolerance and acceptance of others' differences and to teach that all human beings are worthy of basic human dignity and respect. It's another thing to ram the idea that a certain lifestyle is perfectly natural, morally acceptable and mainstream down the throats of persons whose religions teach otherwise.

What gays ultimately want is official government approval of their lifestyle. If they want to pursue that lifestyle, that's their choice (and make no mistake, it is a choice). The government does not have to recognize it, and there is precedent for the government not recognizing relationships other than traditional marriages (polygamous unions, for instance). To keep homosexuals from imposing their way of thinking on the rest of us, Californians should vote yes on Prop. 8.