March 06, 2008

Battle for Traditional Marriage

Mat Staver is the Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. Liberty Counsel is a non-profit litigation, education, and policy organization, dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and the traditional family. They have offices in Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

This Crosstalk highlights America's battle for traditional marriage. In what is a classic case showing the clash of world views, Mat was in California on Tuesday arguing a case that really began in 2004 when Mayor Gavin Newsome of San Francisco began issuing bogus same-sex marriage licenses. Liberty Counsel responded by filing suit the day after this activity began.

Eventually the California Supreme Court said Newsome had no authority under the existing law to issue the licenses, but the constitutionality of the law was not addressed.

Eventually other cases were filed that challenged the constitutionality of the state's marriage laws. These cases, along with the case from Liberty Counsel, were put together in the same court, and on Tuesday, Mat argued for traditional marriage before 7 justices of the California Supreme Court in San Francisco.

Jim also brought news from Liberty Counsel regarding pending legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Specifically, The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 (HR-1424) would incorporate into federal law the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Under the current language of the bill there's no exemption to groups to exclude coverage of mental disorders, particularly psycho sexual disorders, for which they have moral or religious objections.

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