Proposition 8: Standing Strong in the wake of Hollingsworth v. Perry

Guest post by Mike Montoya

It has been 13 years since the first attempt to protect traditional marriage in the state of California. On March 7, 2000, California voters passed Proposition 22 by a margin of 61% to 39% to define marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman in the state Family Code. However, eight years later, the voice of the people was trumped by the California Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision that held that Proposition 22 did not reconcile with the California Constitution. Instead of accepting what appeared to be crushing defeat, California voters rose again in defense of marriage and passed Proposition 8 in November 2008. Unlike Proposition 22, Proposition 8 defined marriage not in the California Family Code, but in the California Constitution.

Living an hour away from San Francisco, I lived the turmoil surrounding the original vote on Proposition 8. As a vocally conservative public school student, I experienced the backlash of many “pro-tolerance” zealots who simply couldn’t understand that supporting traditional family values does not make an individual bigoted. After many bitter debates and enduring slurs of all kinds, pro-family advocates, such as me, sat in our living rooms waiting for poll results to flood our TVs. By the gracious hand of God, our work was not in vain. With a result of 52% to 48%, California stood once again to defend traditional marriage. In a state that’s been blue since Reagan, marriage was defended even in the face of militant adversaries.
But as in all political matters, nothing ends with a vote.
Suits were brought against Proposition 8’s constitutionality on the Federal level and after years of deliberation and decisions, it stood to be decided upon in the United States Supreme Court on this day, June 26th, 2013.
Sitting in the GenJ office, it has come to my attention that the Supreme Court has decided to not make a decision on Proposition 8. The ruling states that the proponents of the proposition had no standing in the 9th Circuit Court and therefore the appellate decision is null. This leaves the decision at the Federal district court level where it was originally overturned.
I am not a Constitutional scholar and therefore cannot tell you where to go from here, but I can tell you, we should neither sit nor sulk. Our nation is made of fallen men, much like you and me. Our first response must be to pray for our enemies, that they would see the damage they are advocating and that the Lord would have mercy on their ways. We must then get up, dust off our clothes, and continue fighting for faith and Christian ethics in America. Whatever you may do in response to this ruling, always remember: though we may face temporal defeat, our Lord has already won.
I leave you with this admonition, stay in the word and stand strong with your fellow believers. I can only say so much, but the inspired Word of God puts it best:
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:11-13)

Guest post by Mike Montoya
Originally published at genjlibertyscall.blogspot.com/2013/06/proposition-8-standing-strong-in-wake.html