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California Catholic Bishops Defend Passage of Proposition 8

By Howard M. Friedman

The Executive Committee of the California Catholic Conference yesterday issued statement defending its support of California's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage. The ballot measure passed last Tuesday, and its passage has generated continued controversy. The statement said in part:

The radical change in the definition of marriage to include same-sex partners discounts both history and biology and ignores how deeply marriage?as the union of a man and a woman?is embedded in our culture, language, and laws and how foundational it is for the well-being of children and the flourishing of society. To change the definition of marriage to include any two adults diminishes the institution to mean only a legal partnership.

Under present law domestic partners continue to have the rights and benefits of married couples in the State of California. It is our conviction that it is not necessary to change the definition of marriage to protect those rights and benefits.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on November 13, 2008 (boomark / email).