Men4God Weblog

As promised, I have a third installment on the unChristian (Firefox doesn’t think that’s a word) moral state in  California. In this third installment, I have been intending to write about some good news in California, and I will. But there is also another story of bad news and great concern. More on that later.

Homeschooling in CA wins judicial approval-for now

For many Christians, homeschooling is a very important part of their faith. It allows them to have control over the moral lessons kids learn in school, avoiding the Homosexual agenda. It also allows them to teach kids at their own pace, and to show them how religion has played such an important role in history. Back in March, homeschooling suffered one of it’s worst attacks in decades when a three judge panel ruled that only parents who had teaching credentials from the state of California could teach their children at home. This means that ninety percent of homeschooling parents would have to send their children to public or private school, or go back to school for a teaching degree.

After a number of legal groups such as the Home School Legal Defense Fund, Alliance Defense Fund, and Liberty Counsel got involved, the court agreed to vacate its original verdict and reconsider it’s position. Yesterday, the court ruled that parents have a constitutional right to teach their own children, and that requiring a credential or adding any other restriction would be judged unconstitutional. If you would like to read the full story, you may click here.

This is a great victory for Christian families and therefore Christian men, as it affirms our right to teach our children in the way we see fit, and in the way our founding fathers intended. The Bible was meant to be used to teach moral lessons, not be kept out and feared. For more information on this issue, check out the resources available at Wall Builders.

Now the Bad News: California Marriage Amendment under Attack

This issue merits a brief history lesson. Four years ago, on the same ballot as the last Presidential Election, California voters were given the opportunity to vote on a law defining marriage in California being between one man and one woman. This was partially in response to San Francisco’s Mayor, Gavin Newsome, attempting to illegally marry same sex couples. The law passed by an overwhelming margin. You would expect that this would decide the issue, as the people of California had clearly spoken.

Not so fast, says the Supreme Court of California. Earlier this year the court ruled the law the citizens overwhelmingly approved unconstitutional. Thirty days after this decision, in mid-June, city and county governments began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

I was very disappointed when I heard this decision. Not only did the court negate the will of their own people, they symbolically thumbed their noses at God, as if they truly believed that marriage was an invention of man, and not God as it clearly states in Genesis 2:24.

Now we have a new opportunity to put things right. Pro-Family and Christian organizations acquired enough signatures to put a measure on this year’s ballot for a California Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. This is a great opportunity not only for Christian and Pro-Family Californians to finally have their wishes respected, but to protect one of the great gifts of God.

So what’s the problem, you ask? The California Attorney General has changed the wording of the amendment from a simple unbiased statement (only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California) to one that is very biased, stating that the measure would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Pro-family organizations took this issue to court, where the judge ruled that the AG had the right to change the wording, and that since the courts struck down the previous law, same-sex couples did indeed have the right to marry. (Story)

Now, it would be silly for me to say that the opposition is trying to politicize the issue, as it clearly is a political issue. But when it comes to the ballot itself, the language should be unbiased. Save the rhetoric for the commercials that I’m sure will be running in California.

Men of California, this is your opportunity to stand up as the High Priest of your household. To lead your family in the fight for God’s Word and his plan for our lives. It is time to take a stand for the fundamentals of our faith. I will be praying for you and your wives to vote in favor of this critical amendment to your constitution. And I will pray that all California voters to see the light on this issue.