Rights
In May 2008, four judges overturned the majority vote of the people of California and said same-sex marriage must be legal.
Marrying a same-sex lover isn't a civil right.
Prop. 8 isn't out to remove rights. In America, we all have the "right" to have a relationship. But what about the legal right to marry?
- For centuries, civil marriage protected society and children by making marriage a legal institution between a man and a woman.
- On March 7, 2000, 61% of California voters passed Prop. 22 — to keep marriage between a man and a woman.
- On May 15, 2008, four judges overturned the will of voters and said same-sex marriage was a "right."
The question is, why stop there? If gays have a right to get married, then how can they say a man doesn't have the right to marry his daughter, or a minor, or three women?
The same-sex marriage movement has more to do with validation and social respect than legal rights. But the cost to the rest of society is far too much to pay.
Kids
Children from fatherless homes account for 63% of youth suicides, 70% of long-term prison inmates, 71% of high school dropouts, 85% of youth prisoners, and 90% of runaways.
This isn't just about adults and their desires. Prop. 8 puts children first.
Marriage between a man and a woman goes far beyond procreation.
While death, divorce, and other circumstances may prevent it in many cases, the best environment for raising children is traditional marriage. More than ten thousand studies document significant advantages kids experience when raised by committed and loving moms and dads.
Benefits include:
- Lower poverty rates: On average kids from never married homes spend 51% of their childhood in poverty compared to only 7% for kids in married homes
- Lower crime rate: Kids from married homes are less than half as likely to end up in jail as children of broken homes
- Lower suicide rate: Kids from married homes are six times less likely to commit suicide than those from divorced homes
- Better health: Kids from married homes are generally physically and emotionally healthier when they reach adulthood than kids from unmarried homes
Education
In 2007, an Illinois high school held a pro-gay seminar and required 14-year-old freshmen to sign a confidentiality agreement and not tell their parents.
If Prop. 8 loses, children as young as kindergarteners must be taught same-sex marriage.
Public schools are required to teach the role of marriage in society. If Prop. 8 passes, that won't change.
If Prop. 8 does not pass, children as young as kindergarteners must be taught about same-sex marriage.
Health
In countries where gay marriage is legal, the average gay man has six partners per year outside of their same-sex marriage. And the average marriage lasts less than two years.
Prop. 8 protects and strengthens society by promoting marriage between a man and a woman.
Simply put, traditional marriage is better for us, mentally, physically and psychologically. We're not making it up; public health statistics confirm this. That's just another reason why Prop. 8 needs to be passed.
Take just one example: Men in traditional marriages are way better off than unmarried men.
- They live longer: Unmarried men have a 250% higher mortality rate.
- They're happier: The latest data show that 40% of married people say they are very happy with their life in general, compared with less than 25% of single or cohabitating individuals.
- They're richer: Married men earn more too... 10-40% more than single or cohabitating men.
What this means is that fewer of your tax dollars go to pay for social programs caused by unhealthy and unwise living.
Spirituality
If same-sex marriage stays legal, nothing prevents the legalization of polygamy and incest.
If Prop. 8 loses, churches likely will face lawsuits and persecution if they don't perform same-sex ceremonies.
Churches, synagogues, mosques and other centers of worship have beliefs, practices, and traditions they use to determine what heterosexual couples must meet prior to marriage. That isn't bias; that's freedom of religion.
The government doesn't (as of yet) tell faith-based groups who they can...
- baptize
- confirm
- accept for a bar mitzvah
- qualify for any other religious function.
If same-sex marriage remains legal, what will happen if a church or religious institution refuses to perform a marriage ceremony for individuals that runs contrary to its belief system? If it refuses, it may be accused of discrimination and be subject to a lawsuit. That is not freedom of religion.
Society
Same-sex marriage separates marriage from parenthood. In Norway, where it has been accepted for a decade, marriage has nearly disappeared, and 70 percent of children are born out of wedlock.
Prop. 8 protects the definition of marriage as it has been defined since the beginning of civilization and throughout 158 years of California statehood.
Okay, listen to this and don't let your eyes glaze over. The legal and civil definition of marriage as between a man and a woman has gone unchallenged for centuries, providing a foundation for the growth of Western civilization. That means your way of life.
If we allow any other sexual relationship to have the same social and financial status as marriage - be it man-man, woman-woman, man-daughter, etc. we will degrade marriage, get less of it and further weaken society and civilization.
