Posted by
Playful Walrus on Monday, October 13, 2008 6:09:48 PM
And yet the professor from Pepperdine can’t use the school’s name in his appearance in “Yes on 8” ads? The Orange County Register’s Eric Carpenter covers a speech by UCI’s Ewrin Chemerinsky against Prop 8.
The California Supreme Court's ruling allowing gay marriage is based on sound constitutional principles and allowing Prop. 8 to pass would be an "incalculable blow to progress," the dean of UCI's law school said Sunday.
So it is a blow to progress if the people of a state vote to regain control their license-issuing procress?
Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky spoke to about 100 people Sunday as an invited guest of Irvine United Congregational Church.
I’m sure Americans United for Separation of Church and State will seek to have that church’s tax exempt status revoked. Riiiiiiight.
The church identifies itself as a "liberal and inclusive" congregation that includes gay and lesbian members.
My church is Biblical and inclusive. There are "out" homosexual people who are members of our church. Some of them have even spoken before the congregation about their struggles. But our church teaches what the Bible says – that sex is for marriage.
"If Prop. 8 is defeated, I believe that within my lifetime we will see a majority of states allow same-sex couples to marry," said Chemerinsky, 55, a renowned constitutional scholar who became the founding dean of UCI's Law School earlier this year, after stints at USC and Duke University.
Of course, because if the SCOTUS overlooks the fact that state courts overstepped their authority in redefining words in the English language, it might side with the marriage neutering crowd, especially with an Obama appointment or two.
The Rev. Paul Tellstrom, pastor at the church, said his parishioners have been working phone banks, distributing "No on 8" signs and even approved a church resolution opposing the proposition.
Again, where is Americans United?
"For us, it's a moral issue," he said.
HA! “You are forcing your morality on us!” Yeah, I can picture Jesus saying “I refuse to turn this water into wine until men can marry men!” Somehow I don’t think Jesus supported the mocking of marriage, nor judicial tyranny on the part of fallen mortals.
Chemerinsky disagrees with several of the principles of the Yes on 8 campaign, including:
– That allowing same sex marriage is destructive to the institution of marriage.
"I don't understand how my marriage is affected by others expressing love and commitment to each other … If anything, it's more affirming," he said.
Uh, that’s not what is going on. Others have always been able to express love and commitment to each other. But now they are forcing the rest of us to hand over licenses. Counterfeiting devalues the authentic. After all, how would he feel if I got a court to issue me a diploma from his law school? Marriage neutering strikes at the core of what makes marriage marriage. That is how it is harmful.
- That it is harmful to children
Allowing marriage encourages family stability, he said.
What’s harming to children is to tell them that marriage isn’t about them. And if two men can get “married”, then marriage can’t be about children. It is about the desires of the adults.
– That clergy will be forced to conduct same-sex marriages.
"Pastors and rabbis, just like some won't perform inter-faith marriages, can decide who they will marry or not," he said.
Sure they can, as long as they are willing to face fines, or some other sanctions. No thanks.
"I feel the U.S. is about freedom," said Carol Lechich-LeMar of Irvine. "And I don't want to deny freedom to anybody."
You want to deny me my vote and the freedom to say “no” when asked for something. So much for freedom.
YES ON PROPOSITION 8!