The Protect Marriage initiative is gathering signatures to change the state constitutional amendment that will protect marriage on the 2006 ballot in California, with help from a coalition of Christian organizations and churches.
Among the coalition is the Traditional Family Coalition (TFC), formed last year by Chinese American Christians "to protect the marriage and family as defined by God in the Bible."
On the board are Rev. Thomas Wang, founder of Great Commission Center International (GCCI) as chairman, Rev. Pak-Cheung Lo, executive director of the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades as the vice-chair, and Dr. Bill Tam, executive director of Chinese Family Alliance as the executive director of TFC.
TFC said that "even though California voters voted for recognizing only '1 man and 1 woman' in the year 2000," through Proposition 22, California Defense of Marriage Act, California Assembly Mark Leno, an openly gay legislature, has been trying to legalize same-sex marriages.
Through Leno's bills AB 1967, the California Marriage License Nondiscrimination Act, and AB 19, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, both would modify the definition of marriage between a man and a woman to a marriage defined as a union between two persons.
Thus, TFC has been actively educating Chinese churches on how to interpret the amendment, as well as helping them understand the effects of same-sex marriages if signatures are not gathered in support of traditional marriage.
"In order to prevent the government from imposing same-sex marriage, as it happened in Canada, Californians must protect the '1 man and 1 woman marriage' by amending the California Constitution on Marriage," TFC said in a letter sent out to churches and organizations.
The amended California constitution will say that only marriage between a man and a woman will be recognized in the state of California. It will bar domestic partnerships from being valid or recognized as legal unions, and prohibit legislators, judges or politicians from redefining marriage.
TFC's involvement has garnered the support of the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. According to their Student Life Newsletter on Oct. 31, it said that "Golden Gate supports the California Traditional Marriage Movement," further saying that "there is a great momentum behind TFC," and urged Californians to vote.
By the end of Nov., TFC's goal is to collect over 1 million signatures, a number that exceeds the necessary amount of 600,000 to ensure it will be placed before voters in 2006.
Rev. Wang said in an interview on Oct. 18, "God created human beings as a man and a woman. God did not create two Adams or two Eves, but He made them husband and wife. They were the first couple; they were the main family."
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