In response to the radical ruling by activist judges in California, several states have placed marriage amendments on the November 2008 ballot to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.  California, Arizona, and Florida have all recognized the danger of allowing activist judges to make decisions for their citizens and have responded with their own respective amendments so the voices of the people can be heard.  Pastors and religious leaders in all three states are banding together to support, strategize, and rally the troops so that traditional marriage and our religious freedoms are protected.  Over 2,000 pastors will participate in a conference call on July 30 to discuss ways to motivate and educate their congregations and communities.  Director of State Legislative Relations for Concerned Women for America (CWA), Michael Mears, says, “The ballot initiatives in Arizona, California, and Florida provide an opportunity for pro-family citizens to tell the courts and the nation that they have had enough of judicial activism.  I constantly hear people say that if the courts are going to continue to rewrite the Constitution and the law, then ‘we the people’ have to do something about it.  That’s the message that the people in these three states are sending.”

The citizens of California have worked hard to get Proposition 8, California’s Marriage Protection Act, on the fall ballot.  According to the official website, Protectmarriage.com, the ballot initiative “amends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”  Penny Harrington, Director of Legislation for CWA of California, states, “Proposition 8 is presently the most crucial battle of the culture war here.  It is the responsibility of every pro-family individual in this state to understand and share the importance of protecting marriage by supporting Proposition 8 this November.  We ask fellow believers to pray daily and make a commitment to help this effort in every way they can.”  Many emphasize the critical role that California plays because of the strong influence it exerts over the rest of the nation.  The premature crow of victory from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, “As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation,” should caution those who downplay the importance of this critical time in history.

Understanding that our religious liberties are at stake, pastors in California are leading the way in organizing a conference call to discuss strategy and to assist religious leaders in Florida and Arizona.  Organizers are focusing on ways that the church, as a whole, can gain grassroots support for the initiative.  “I think it’s refreshing that pastors in Arizona, California, and Florida are taking the lead on these initiatives in their states,” says Mears.  “Frankly, I often wonder if our Christian leaders really understand the impact on their own churches if we fail.”  For more information about the July 30 conference call, please visit the Pastor’s Rapid Response Team Monthly Conference Call website at www.protectmarriagesd.com.

Lawmakers in Arizona voted last month to refer a state constitutional amendment on the definition of marriage to the November ballot.  The proposed amendment states, “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.”  Sally Mikesell, State Director for CWA of Arizona, knows what this victory means.  “The people of Arizona will be able to decide the future of marriage in their state,” says Mikesell.  “Judges will not make the decision for the citizens as the activist California Supreme Court did.  Hard work must be done in the months ahead to protect the sanctity of marriage.”

Florida has similar wording in its Florida Marriage Protection Amendment (Amendment 2), which states, “Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”  The main difference of this amendment is that the wording is strong and specifically addresses the issue of civil unions.  The official campaign website, Yes2Marriage.org, explains that, “The Amendment prohibits any other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof from being valid or recognized as marriage.” CWA strongly supports the language of Amendment 2, which fully protects traditional marriage. Grassroots efforts are especially needed in Florida, where 60 percent of voters need to be in favor of the amendment for it to pass, in contrast to California, which needs a majority vote.

For more information and to get involved, please visit the CWA in the States site where you can access links to our state sites in California, Arizona, and Florida.