vote YES on prop 8

With the election so close, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with information all around me. Some is the truth, and some appears to be the truth, but is actually really bad and just "spun" by witty writers.

Aside from the presidential vote, there are a lot of propositions that are trying to be passed. Even though I don't live in California I feel very strongly about prop 8, the reason is because if this is NOT passed in California then chances are we will see this in our own states also.

Proposition 8 appears on the ballot titled as "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry".
If it passes, it will add a new constitutional amendment to the California Constitution that will say "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California" and it will be known in law as the California Marriage Protection Act[1]

My first reaction when I read it was, "why should I care if a same sex couple get married, why should it affect me? Let them get married."

The problem is that there is actually a lot more to it than that, and it has nothing to do with bigotry, it actually takes rights away from parents and churches and allows the government to tell us what is right and wrong, which takes away many freedoms that we are privileged to in this country.

The first word that comes to my mind is communism.  Where a government TELLS us what to do and think. This should be our biggest fear, not the fear of appearing to be prejudice. 

In the scriptures we are taught that marriage is between a man a woman. This is a religious belief, and we have the freedom to religious belief in this country don't we? Even if you don't believe in God, you have the same rights.  But if you do believe in God and what the scriptures say, your children will be taught in school that the scriptures are actually wrong, marriage is between party A and party B, not man and woman.  

This is where you should be concerned..........

If it does not pass then schools are obligated to teach that same sex is OK- regardless of what parents say, even send home literature against parents wishes. There will be serious clashes between the secular school system and the right of parents to teach their children their own values and beliefs.

1. Churches are not allowed to turn away same-sex couples.

2. Churches will be sued if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings that are open to the public.

3. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. Catholic Charities in Boston has already closed its doors because of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

4. Religions that sponsor private schools and which provide housing for married students will be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if it runs counter to church doctrine, or lose tax exemptions and benefits.

5. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages will be sued for hate speech and could be fined by the government.
It has already happened in Canada, one of six countries that have legalized gay marriage.

While there are arguments for both sides, I have boiled it down to one basic question:"Is it appropriate and desirable for public schools to be teaching second-graders that same-sex marriage is just like any other marriage."

I don't think so. As a parent, I have the right to teach my child what ever I want. Especially when it comes to personal beliefs and religion. My rights are a stake here, my right to teach my child.
If prop 8 does not pass, the government will tell me what I should be teaching my child regardless of religious values and that would be mixing state and religion.
I think that the question is not one for the courts, but for the people.

Please urge your family and friends who live in California to do their research and VOTE YES on prop 8, not because they are prejudice, but because they don't want their own government taking away their right to speech and freedom of religion.