Urgent: Protect Marriage Now

Oct 27th, 2008 by kcren

I sent out the following email today:

On its official www.lds.org web site, a letter from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requested the “best efforts” of Church members to support the marriage protection amendment in California. Such a statement is unusual for the LDS Church, which recognizes this as a serious moral, non-political issue:

“We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman. Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage.”
(http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/california-and-same-sex-marriage)

The letter was read only to California congregations, but it doesn’t specifically limit the request to them; it appears on the LDS web site for anyone to read and consider. (See DC 58:27-8.)

What happens in California affects the entire US. For that reason, a few large, out-of-state donors are heavily funding the effort to make same-sex marriage the law in California. By contrast, protecting marriage is more of a grass roots effort. See yesterday’s AP news article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gay_marriage_money

I can’t sit idly by and watch this happen. However, as a non-Californian I wasn’t sure how to help until now.

What You Can Do

You do not need to be a California resident to make a big difference.

As I’ve analyzed this, I conclude that we must act NOW, in the next 2 or 3 days. I personally recommend the following:

1) Forward this email or blog link NOW and/or call anyone who may appreciate the LDS Church’s stand on this issue.

2) Contribute what you can NOW, even just $10 (the cost of a meal or two), at www.ProtectMarriage.com so they can finish their TV ad campaign. We only have a few days, and it all comes down to good communication. The Protect Marriage ads correct blatant falsehoods advertised by the other side that create confusion, and confusion recently defeated Arizona’s initiative. Pay no heed to smiling promises—in the end, it doesn’t matter who said or promised what—only the actual votes and laws matter. Schools must uphold and actively teach the laws. Period. (ProtectMarriage.com is officially promoted by many organizations and denominations including the LDS Church.)

3) Pray for the people of California to clearly understand the long-term consequences of the choice before them.

Additional Resources

This is a serious legal, religious, and societal threat, not an issue of personal agency or discrimination. See:

“Protecting Marriage to Protect Children” (LA Times, liberal viewpoint, Sept 2008)
“When Gay Rights and Religious Liberties Clash” (May 2008)
“Banned in Boston” (2006, very scholarly, note the last page)

See also these excellent resources, including links in the the right-hand margin:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

Every Good Thing