What Happened to The First Amendment?

Proposition 8.  Arguably one of the most controversial laws passed by voters in this country.  Also, one that has highlighted so much that is wrong in this country, at a time in which so much went right.  Such a paradox: Barack Obama, an African-American, elected president, at the same time that marriage rights are forcibly taken from homosexuals.

Here's the thing that frustrates me most about Prop. 8: it is literally unconstitutional.  It says it right there, First Amendment in the Constitution, Separation of Church and State.  Everything about Prop. 8 is the Church getting their hands dirty in the State's cookie jar.  It was put up by the Church, funded by the Church, organized by the Church, and voted for by the Church.  And the weirdest thing is that the most vocal and powerful Church that helped pass Prop. 8 was the Mormon Church.  According to an article in The New York Times, the Mormons "made up 80 percent to 90 percent of the early volunteers who walked door-to-door in election precincts" and "as much as half of the nearly $40 million raised on behalf of the measure was contributed by Mormons".  But the Mormons are polygamists, and the law defines marriage as "one man and one woman", not "one man and a dozen women"!  Well, as long as it isn't two men, or two women, right?  Because that would be a sign of the Apocalypse!

So, back to the Constitution.  It says, Religious Freedom - no interference by government, no imposition by other religions.  I'd say the Church making a law defining marriage definitely imposes upon me and you.  Dan Agin, in an article in The Huffington Post, puts it quite well.  He writes, "It's one thing for clergy to impose values on their own flock - - it's something quite different for clergy to impose values on people outside their flock."  Well said, sir!  I'm not a member of the Catholic or Christian or Mormon or any other Church, and I don't need them telling me whom I can legally marry!  

Well, there's a bright side to this debacle - the country is up in arms over the law, and things will be changed.  There are a lot of people, homosexual or heterosexual or transexual or bisexual or whatever you feel like calling yourself, who are pissed off and not letting this issue go away.  Through the tools of Facebook and other social networking sites, people are protesting all over the nation.  Today, there was a protest held in Rhode Island, on the steps of the State House (kudos if you went!) at the same time as other protests at every state capitol in the nation.  Trust me, this infraction of our civil and religious rights will not be forgotten, and it will be fought to the end.  Look out for new referendums or legislation or court cases that tackle this issue head-on.  They will be coming.