On Feb. 4, 2004, the Supreme Court of the State of Massachusetts declared marriage to be “an evolving paradigm,” and in a bold leap in that evolutionary process, the court ruled that marriage could no longer be legally defined as the committed union of one man and one woman. The court declared that the definition of marriage must now include a union of two men or two women. This court ruling, which would have been inconceivable forty years ago, illustrates the radical cultural changes that have taken place in this country in the last generation. Marriage is under attack in the United States, the world, and even in the church. The concept of the family is undercut in our society. Individualism and politically correct language have eroded the classic image of the family. While the “image” of the nuclear family is not necessarily biblical, there are forces that seek to destroy the family as an antiquarian relic of the Judeo-Christian legacy. The prime example occurred in the state of California.
On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court, by a vote of 4-3, ruled that the statute enacted by Proposition 22 and other statutes that limit marriage to a relationship between a man and a woman violated the equal protection clause of the California Constitution. It also held that individuals of the same sex have the right to marry under the California Constitution. As of June 17, 2008, marriages between individuals of the same sex were considered valid and recognized in the state of California. A UCLA study estimated that 18,000 same-sex couples married between then and early November, 2008.[1] Californians concerned for the institution of marriage garnered enough support to put Proposition 8 on the November 2008 ballot. Proposition 8 was a California State ballot proposition that amended the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. It was intended to overturn the California Supreme Court decision that had recognized same-sex marriage in California as a fundamental right. The official ballot title language for Proposition 8 is “Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry.” The entirety of the text added to the constitution is: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” This proposition passed by a 52% to a 47% margin.[2] If one notes the language of the ballot, it was written in the negative – eliminates the right of – as opposed to a positive tone of promoting the sanctity of marriage. While this is a victory for the sanctity of marriage, the fight is still ongoing. Lawsuits are expected to be forthcoming on both sides of the issue in California and elsewhere. Read the rest of this entry »
