There were probably no greater a controversial ballot proposition this past election than that of Proposition 8 in my home state of California. The erroneously named “Same-sex marriage ban” proposition had gotten the attention of just about every state in the nation along with just about every media outlet in the nation. It was one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive proposition campaign ever and it is likely to be far from over now that California has, for the second time, voted to recognize marriage as being between a man and a woman.
For those unfamiliar to this proposition (have you been living under a rock?), the entire premise of the proposition is the adding of the following text to the California constitution:
“Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California.”
Somehow this has gotten the name of the “Same-sex marriage ban” proposition. The “OFFICIAL TITLE AND SUMMARY” as “PREPARED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL” in the California voter guide was “ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY”. It was even referred to in some circles as the “Gay Marriage ban” proposition.
I have to tell you I was extremely disappointed with just about every aspect of Proposition 8 with the exception of it’s passing. The text of the proposed constitutional amendment was the exact same text that was proposed in the 2000 election under proposition 22. The text of the law specifically states “marriage between a man and woman”. Minor apologies to those of you who believe that this was a same-sex issue, but the reality of it is that this proposition was for people that believe marriage to be between a man and woman. This was not a “same-sex” issue, it was a “marriage between a man and woman” issue.
I found it ironic that so many people turned the desire of a group of people that want to protect marriage into something that was based on same-gender marriage or homosexual marriage. That is ludicrous. And to say it eliminated rights is just as ludicrous. In 2000 the people of the state of California voted to make marriage valid only when between a man and woman. 52 of 58 counties voted for Prop 22. It was passed overwhelmingly by the people of the state.
Eight years later four judges, four, on the California supreme court overruled the people’s decision stating the Prop 22 was unconstitutional because it discriminated against couples of the same gender that sought marriage. Since when have judges been given the right to overturn vote results? If they can do that, why vote at all? Why not just ask judges to pass all of our laws for us?
So they did. They overturned Prop 22 and for the last five and a half months marriages were being performed between couples of the same gender. They in effect handed the right of marriage to people that up until that time did not have the right to marry under that context. Keep in mind that people of the same gender that have sought to become united have been able to do so for some time now under California’s and America’s laws recognizing civil unions. The only difference is that the term “marriage” has not been recognized in California as marriage unless it was between a man and a woman. Until the judges got involved.
So their decision then gave the Attorney General the ability to label Proposition 8 as “Eliminates the rights of same-sex couples to marry”. Astonishing. Why not read the text of the proposed law and label the proposition as such? “Recognizes marriage as being between a man and a woman”. That sounds more like the proposed law to me.
For the record I want to say that I have no ill feelings toward anyone. I don’t hate homosexual people. I am not afraid of homosexual people. I am not mad at homosexual people. My opinions on marriage are not about the choices people make in their lifestyle. They are about what I believe marriage is. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Period.
I do, however, get bothered somewhat by folks that believe that because someone makes a choice they should be granted rights that they would not normally have had they not made that choice. These are the people that make statements associating homosexuality to ethnicity or gender. People that believe the struggle of the homosexual community is akin to the struggle of African-Americans that marched with Dr. Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. People that associate homosexuality to me being a male or me being Mexican. Thanks for trying to make your point but please do not place your sexual preference in the same category as my ethnic heritage or my gender. I didn’t choose to be a man nor did I choose to be Mexican. Homosexuality cannot be compared to these.
It can be compared to being a Christian. Or being a smoker. Or being a Republican. Those are all choices that are made. And not one of them carries with it a privilege afforded it simply because one aligns himself or herself with that particular group. A smoker that is told to smoke outside a restaurant because it is a non-smoking restaurant is not being discriminated against. The smoker chooses to smoke and must smoke according to the law.
A man that wants to marry has every right to marry. But if that man chooses to wed another man, according to the law, he cannot. He can unite with the other man in a civil union. But he cannot marry him. Simple. Understandable. Nondiscriminatory.
I am glad the political campaigning is over. I am glad the elections are over. And I am glad that Proposition 8 passed. I know this is not over yet. We live in a state where when certain people don’t get what they want they throw a fit and scream until someone bends. I can assure you there will still be noise on this matter for some time.
But I can also assure you that the state of California has spoken in a mighty voice and it has said clearly that marriage, regardless of your position on it, is supposed to be between a man and woman. It is clear. It is understandable. And now it is constitutional.
A few nights ago I held a little mini bible study with the kids in regards to something that is very close to my heart right now: spiritual warfare and battling in the spirit. If you are not a Christian what I am about to share might not have any meaning to you. If you are a Christian then this is, I believe, the type of thing you should be doing everyday. I say this as someone who does this, not your all too typical Christian that says you should do one thing and turns around and does something else (of which I am guilty but not in the area of spiritual warfare).
A great place to start is the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation. This chapter describes John’s vision of the birth of Christ and the battle that was raging as Mary delivered Jesus. It also describes the fall of Satan, his subsequent casting to the Earth and his rage with those that choose to follow Christ:
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17
It is my belief that Christians face a very real enemy. Yes, I believe we are the product of a Creator and that we, each person ever born, is part of His plan for glory. I also believe in angels, the warriors that battle on your behalf and intercede for you daily. No, I do not believe that angels are cute little fat babes with wings and red cheeks. Nor do I believe that angels are female in form. No, I believe angels are huge beings that bring fear and astonishment with them where ever they go. Why else would the first words out of their mouths always be “Fear not.”?
To that end I also believe our enemy, satan, has a plan as well. When he was cast to the Earth a third of those big scary warrior angels went with him and seek after the same thing he seeks:
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
Christians then are embroiled in a way every day as satan tries to look for ways to attack and best us. Demons, fallen angels, are dispatched according to his plan and take their jobs very seriously. But God also has a plan for use. One that involves victory, glory and success. To that end God ha made us a few promises that we can live our lives out daily in:
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
In addition to our supply and our overall stability Jesus gives us authority in His name to do the things He can do (I also believe this stems from us being created in the image and likeness of God) through the use of our mouths:
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:17
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Mark 11:23
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.
Matthew 21:21
So putting this all together you can come up with the notion that if you are a Christian there is an enemy that will attack you on the regular and he will come after you with everything he has. But he will not be successful in his attempts to snafu you because he has no authority over you. In fact, you have authority over him. And you can exercise that authority just by opening your mouth and commanding him to be bound. We have that ability because demons and even satan himself are subject to us. They must do as they are commanded.
So my lesson concluded with me teaching my kids that when we are at battle, every day we are at battle, that we speak to our enemy directly and with purpose, not mincing words or feelings, and commanding the enemy to return what he has stolen from use and to keep his hands off of anything that he might think adequate to touch. We speak to our mountains, broken cars, broken TVs, bare bank accounts, collection calls and tell them to recover. We speak to our physical bodies, our minds, our feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, wrath, contention, discontent and we command those feelings to be bound.
Rebuking the enemy is the fastest, easiest spiritual battle you can fight. “if you say to this”… It sometimes requires more than just that to work your enemy over, but we must keep trying and keep fighting. We have been given authority so that we might use it to the glory of God. The enemy is trying to take that authority from you or at least make you believe you have none. Because he comes to kill, steal and destroy.
But if I am reading my God right I know he has come so that not only will I not lose what I have I would have more and plenty of it. This is very reassuring, especially in this time when it seems like the enemy is consuming me and my possessions. I think, no, I know he needs to be stopped and I know I have to the equipment to do it.
“if you say to this”… I just pray that I continue to fight the good fight everyday and that in all things God gets the Glory. And I will continue to speak to these mountains.
Ok, maybe not the longest day of my life, but man it sure felt pretty long to me. But before we get into this longest of days I should step back a bit and get to the cause of it all.
The past few days have been somewhat rough on me because of this stupid cold I have had. Fortunately I go better pretty quick due in large part to the efforts of my wife and kids in taking care of me. Well, that type of effort seldom goes without punishment as the caretaker often takes on the symptoms of the one being cared for. So was the case with my wife. She got what I had. And she got it a lot worse than I had it.
She started showing signs of illness late Wednesday night and as of Thursday was pretty well in the heat of getting he butt kicked by this bug. What that meant for the household was that she would not be able to be a mom on yesterday and she asked me if I could take care of the Friday activities for her.
I was not able to miss work yesterday because of a meeting that has been planned for the last two weeks. What that meant was that I was now thrown headlong into the role of a single parent getting his kids to school for the day along with getting other of his kids to a place outside the home because my wife would not be able to do anything for the day. So late Thursday night I set out to make sure that Friday was taken care of. Here is what ended up being set up for Friday:
- Wake up the kids, feed them, dress them and get out of the house by 7:30 AM.
- Get to grandma’s house in Newark by 8:00 to drop off the younger three children, one of whom was staying the night and needed a night bag packed.
- Get to Hayward by 8:30 to drop off the older two for school.
- Get to Concord by 9:30 to prepare for my 10:00 can’t-miss meeting.
Now there was a little more to it than that. If you look real close at that list above there is no provision for getting my kids home from school. See that was a little more complex because their school does not start until 9:30 and it is against the rules to be at school and not be in a class room. So what I set up for the kids was:
- Get to school at 8:30 and go to the early math class room. Sit there quietly until it is time for their classes to start at 9:30.
- Go to class at 9:30. Learn like champions.
- After school find a particular parent who was going to take them to her house.
- Wait at this particular parent’s house until another parent comes by to pick up her kids and my kids, then take my kids to yet another parents house from where my kids will be brought home.
When all was said and done I was able to get all of the morning activities done and get to work a little after 9:00. I met with my boss who helped me set up a very aggressive schedule that pretty much commits me to a single project through mid-November (which I am ok with but hope I am not setting myself up for dropping the ball). I spent the rest of my day working on the project and got out of work a little after 5:00 PM.
I got on the road and found a message from Adriannah on my phone that she wanted all of us to come pick up the younger kids from grandma’s because there was cake that she made and she wanted all of us to share some of it together. So I went home, picked up Sandi, Sarah and Bekah and hit the road to grandma’s house. We had cake, mingled a bit and picked the kids up and headed home.
We got home at a little after 8:00 at which time I put some hotdogs to boil, fed the kids, ate dinner, prayed for us all and put us to bed. At about 9:30 or so I was finally able to sit down, take a breath and realize what had happened in the day.
What a day. What a long, long, longest of days. I am glad I am able to rest a little today. I totally need it.