Catholics for the Common Good Disappointed by California Court Marriage Ruling
by Staff
May 23, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO, (christiansunite.com) -- "The California Supreme Court turned its back on both the will of the people and the common interest of every child in California in having a married mother and father," said Bill May, chairman of Catholics for the Common Good and spokesperson for Stand with Children."The only way Californians can reverse this outrageous decision and restore common sense is by passing the ProtectMarriage.com initiative on the November ballot. That would put the definition of marriage in the state constitution - putting it out of reach of judges and politicians," May said.
"The majority found that there is no compelling state interest in restricting marriage to people who engage in reproductive acts [men and women]. Tell that to the 40% percent of children born out of wedlock each year or the 34% of children living without their fathers. It is clearly in the public interest to encourage men and women to marry because of the staggering and tragic social consequences for children born to single women or cohabitating couples. By disconnecting marriage from the public interest and overturning the will of the people, the Court has undermined the very foundation of society."
The 4-3 ruling of the California Supreme Court declared the California Defense of Marriage Act (Proposition 22) unconstitutional. That law, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, was adopted by 61.4% of California voters in the year 2000.
Stand with Children, an educational coalition, promotes the interest that every child has in the marriage of his or her parents. It is a project of the Catholics for the Common Good Institute, an educational organization dedicated to bringing reason to the public square based on insights from Catholic social teachings related to the dignity of the human person, fundamental human rights, marriage and the family as the foundation of social justice, and commitment to the poor and vulnerable.
