Why I will not vote Yes on CA Prop 8

I was driving K. to the middle school to drop her off for drama and there, outside our church, was a "Yes on 8" sign. I was taken aback that our church would directly enter into the political fray by displaying campaign signs, and it has caused me to really question my membership in the church.

Prop 8 is the attempt of the mormon church, the Knights of Columbus (of which my dad and brothers have long been members) and the christianist churches to outlaw same-sex union in the state of CA.

this is purely discrimination and an attempt to drag religion, once again, into the public governance of this state.

I cannnot, in good conscience, support a propostion that says that members of our community are, somehow, less than the others. let me tell ya' a same sex couple does NOTHING to diminish my marriage or my family. in fact, committed same sex couples strengthen my community by fully participating in the institutions that we have declared important.

Jesus preached love and tolerance, and I teach my kids the same.

Furthermore, the campaign for the "Yes" vote is full of misinformation, which tells you that they are on the wrong side of this issue, morally, because they have to lie to bolster their case.
-lie #1: Churches will be forced to marry same-sex couples. This is completely FALSE. Due to seperation of church and state, churches cannot be forced to marry anyone they do not wish to. EXAMPLE: divorced catholics are not allowed to be married in the church without an annulment.
-lie #2: schools will be forced to teach "gay marriage". Again, completely FALSE. guess how many times I have taught "marriage" in nearly 20 years of teaching- exactly 3 and those times were in catholic school as part of the marriage and family life curriculum. public schools don't teach marriage! in our high school health class the curriculum is available for review by the parents and parents have the right, by STATE LAW, to opt their child out of any teaching that covers topics of health and sexuality.

in closing, I will vote no on prop. 8 and I will take my weekly contribution to my church and send it to the "no on Prop 8" movement. as a democratic society, we need to honor those who want to step up and fully participate in our institutions. we will have stronger families and communities when we do not discriminate.