Proposition 8 - AOI Observer

Judging Marriage: Proposition 8 Struck Down

August 10, 2010 11:13 AM

What is at stake: Even though his ruling isn’t surprising, his dismissal of the opinions of the people of California and five thousand-plus years of human tradition is breath-taking. Then again, inasmuch as Walker is one of the few openly gay federal judges, maybe his dismissal shouldn’t shock us, either. Let’s be clear. What’s at stake here goes beyond California and even beyond marriage itself. The reasoning that overturned California’s law, that said that the right of gays to marry is a fundamental constitutional right, would, if applied nationally, overturn similar laws throughout the country. As Pastor Jim Garlow, who led the Proposition 8 campaign, points out, it would be a mistake to think that the battle about the definition of marriage is only over marriage—disastrous as that is. A loss on this issue will have devastating consequences for our personal freedoms. Source: Breakpoint Listen here: I have warned you for months that our religious … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Charles Colson, Culture, homosexual marriage, Marriage, Proposition 8

Moral Tradition and the Assault of Gay Activists

November 24, 2008 12:47 PM

Over at OrthodoxyToday.org, Fr. Hans Jacobse looks at why gay activists in California are now attacking places of worship: So what explains the aggression of homosexual activists especially toward churches in California and elsewhere? Is it just because they lost the vote or is something else at work? The homosexual lobby argued that marriage is a fundamental right denied to homosexual couples. They overlook the fact that homosexuals already have the "right" to marry. They just can't marry a member of the same sex, just as a man can't marry multiple women, a woman multiple men, a father to a daughter, a brother to a sister, and so forth. Nothing is "denied" to them that is not denied to everyone else. "Unfair" they protested and indeed it is. But fairness to those who seek new definitions of marriage is not a concern of the moral tradition. There are compelling reasons why the convention is what it is (children need both a mother and father being one of them), and tinkering … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Culture, gay marriage, hate crime, Law, Marriage, moral tradition, Mormons, national review, News, Orthodox Church, orthodox churches, OrthodoxyToday.org, Proposition 8, religious freedom, Rev. Johannes L. Jacobse, same-sex marriage

Heritage on Religious Freedom and Same-Sex Marriage

November 7, 2008 2:59 PM

A new policy paper from The Heritage Foundation warns that the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex unions "poses significant threats to the religious liberties of people who continue to believe that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman." These threats are acknowledged by both those who support and those who oppose redefining marriage, according to to Thomas M. Messner, a Visiting Fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at Heritage. Some "talking points" from Same-Sex Marriage and the Threat to Religious Liberty: -- Judicial decisions redefining marriage to include same-sex unions state that limiting marriage to men and women is a form of unacceptable discrimination against homosexuals. -- The freedom to express the view that marriage involves a man and a woman will come under growing pressure as courts, public officials, and private institutions come to regard the traditional understanding of marriage as a form of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Church of the Latter-Day Saints, Heritage Foundation, Marriage, minority voters, Mormons, News, Proposition 8, religious freedom, same-sex marriage, Thomas M. Messner

In the Wake of the Election

November 6, 2008 4:30 PM

Whether your guy won or lost on Tuesday (mine came in second) you have to marvel at this very exceptional nation called America. And, indeed, the whole world is doing just that. In an editorial, the Times of London described the election as a "Masterclass in Democracy": The world has been fascinated and profoundly moved by this election most of all because of what America is — a nation founded on universal aspirations, and thus a mirror to humanity. For two centuries that mirror has seemed irreparably cracked by the legacy of slavery and segregation, a pernicious and enduring racism that remains a factor in the blighted lives of so many of the poor blacks among whom Mr Obama launched his political career. He is not the last role model they will ever need, but he is the most powerful proof his country has produced that it is ready to judge them by the content of their character, not the colour of their skin. The world watched as 121 million Americans peacefully went to the polls … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Barack Obama, democracy, Democrat, election 2008, Fr. Thomas Hopko, John Mark Reynolds, John McCain, News, Politics, Proposition 8, Republican, scriptorium

California Bishops Support Ballot Initiative on Marriage

October 27, 2008 7:44 AM

Orthodox bishops have announced their support for Proposition 8, known as the "California Marriage Protection Act." The measure would amend the state constitution by adding this line: Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. More on this proposal on the Protect Marriage Web site. Here is the message from Orthodox bishops: A Statement of the Orthodox Christian Bishops of California in Support of Proposition 8: A Constitutional Amendment to Restore the Definition of Marriage The decision of the California Supreme Court on May 15, 2008, unilaterally redefines the sacred institution of marriage in a manner unprecedented in human history — and alien to our Christian tradition. We, the Orthodox Christian bishops of California, were saddened by this decision which constitutes a direct attack upon the longstanding role and freedom of religion in American life. A majority of the justices declared not only that same-sex couplings must be allowed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: antiochian orthodox christian archdiocese, Bishop Benjamin, Bishop Joseph, Bishop Maxim, California, Culture, Greek Orthodox, Marriage, Metropolitan Gerasimos, Orthodox Church in America, Politics, Proposition 8, serbian orthodox