Print 
PDF
Judge Julie Spector refused to block Secretary of State Sam Reed from certifying R-71 to the ballot yesterday.
She said, "The court recognizes the concerns raised by the plaintiffs regarding the validity of a significant number of petitions and signatures in this case." She told the plaintiffs that the King County Superior Court has no authority to prevent the Secretary from accepting signatures and suggested they would need to file another suit in Thurston County after the signatures have been certified. They have five days to do so.
The homosexual activists told the press they intend to do so. I personally think they are acting in desperation. More on that a little later.
Governor Gregoire published a statement following the certification of R-71 to the ballot. In the statement she said while she respects the people's right to place a referendum, she is, "very disappointed that this message will be debated again. I signed the original bill and believe it should be and will be the law of our great state."
There are reasons why she and her homosexual activist colleagues in the Legislature are doing all they can do to avoid having SB 5688 go to a public vote.
There has been a false sense of acceptance advanced in the state since the failure of Referendum 65 to make the ballot a couple of years ago. That failure, which included a public dispute between Joe Fuiten and Tim Eyman, gave the homosexual activists a sense of advancement and affirmation as Domestic Partnerships became law. It also gave the faith community, in some cases, a sense of having lost the stand for traditional values and the defense of marriage.
As the partnership bill was presented to the Legislature in January of 2007, Sen. Ed Murray told Andrew Garbor at The Seattle Times (Jan. 10, 2007), "The goal is marriage equality. It's an important statement that our eyes are on the prize, and the prize is marriage."
Indeed their prize is homosexual marriage and they have never taken their eyes off the prize. It was not necessarily benefits. Although benefits are always nice.
In May of this year, in the joy of yet another advancement of the homosexual agenda with the Legislature's passage of SB 5688, or "Everything But Marriage" bill, Sen. Murray told The Seattle Times that this was part of an, "incremental approach---a strategic plan." (May 17, 2009).
He said, "We needed to have a multiyear discussion with the state on gay and lesbian families." He said, "I believe DOMA won't long be the law of the state because those conversations are changing hearts and minds around the state."
And indeed they have. Not only has a segment of the public accepted the idea of fairness in benefits to the homosexuals, but under the guise of benefits, the activists have been unrestrained in rushing toward homosexual marriage. Led by the Governor.
The homosexual activists have been emboldened and some in the faith community have conceded that the battle for the culture and specifically the battle to defend marriage has been lost. A former Christian lobbyist in Olympia told the press a couple of years ago the marriage battle has been lost. We were baptized in that thought with a public effort to undermine R-71 as we launched the signature gathering. During the process in which you put, with God's help, R-71 on the ballot, there has been at least one head of a faith based organization in the state who has been telling people that he felt our effort would lose by at least 30 points. When R-71 exceeded the 120,577 valid names needed, it was characterized as, "The easy part is over," now the hard part begins.
In an odd sort of way, we have contributed to cultural losses with our own negative statements. I believe we may have also contributed in part to the general public's feelings about the issue.
This is why I wasn't surprised at the results in the University of Washington's survey, which they interestingly released simultaneously with the certification of R-71, that shows support for domestic partnerships and all the benefits---everything but marriage.
I am certain that as we have a conversation with the state over the next couple of months, the people of the state will come to understand that the "prize" of this legislation is homosexual marriage, not necessarily benefits. I do not believe the state is ready to provide that threshold, once they learn this legislation is the last "incremental and strategic" step to deconstructing marriage and redefining the family.
I believe many will reject SB 5688, not because they hate or are bigoted, but because they honor and treasure marriage. Because they know that marriage between a man and a woman has been the corner stone of every successful culture in the history of the human race.
Will they represent a majority of those who vote in November? Only God knows that. It is in His hands.
But I am absolutely certain that we are called to stand on behalf of what is morally right and biblically mandated. To do any less is a miscarriage of what every person of faith is called to do.
The current climate of moral collapse in the state may be, at least in part, due to our own inability to work together and speak together on fundamental issues such as marriage and life itself.
Those, including the Governor, who champion the advancement of the homosexual agenda, may have a sense that as the light is turned on to what this legislation really means, there may be a shift in the feelings of the people of the state. This would explain why the desperation to block this issue from coming before the people for a vote.
Faith without works is dead.
Be prayerful. Be active. Get involved and believe. Thank you for supporting us during this critical time.
________________
Gary Randall
President
Faith & Freedom
Click here to add these blogs to your email inbox.
