Government by the People or by Judges

                The government of the United States of America is supposed to be a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  It appears that it is now a government by the judges because judges at several levels of our court system are overturning laws made by the voice of the people defining marriage as a union between man and woman.

                On Thursday, October 2, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States passed on re-entering the debate in our nation about same-sex marriage.  On Monday, October 6, 2014, the Justices of the Supreme Court chose not to hear any of the cases about same-sex marriage brought by Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana, and Wisconsin.  All the cases were overturned in lower courts, and the Justices’ decision not to hear any of them means that gay marriage will be legalized in eleven additional states.

                The Supreme Court decision – or lack of decision – brought varied responses from many people and organizations.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded to the announcement with this statement:  “The succession of federal court decisions in recent months, culminating in today’s announcement by the Supreme Court, will have no effect on the doctrinal position or practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is that only marriage between a man and a woman is acceptable to God.  In prizing freedom of conscience and Constitutional guarantees of the free exercise of religion, we will continue to teach that standard and uphold it in our religious practices.

                “Nevertheless, respectful coexistence is possible with those with differing values.  As far as the civil law is concerned, the courts have spoken.  Church leaders will continue to encourage people to be persons of good will toward all, rejecting persecution of any kind based on race, ethnicity, religious belief or non-belief, and differences in sexual orientation."

                Mark Levin, an attorney and talk show host, opened his show discussing the issue of gay marriage.  He pointed out that the Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in a way that was “as sleazy as it gets” and called it “judicial tyranny.”

                Katrina Trinko of The Heritage Foundation  wrote, “The Supreme Court’s decision today to not hear any of the cases on same-sex marriage means, as my colleague Ryan T.Anderson writes, that `lower court rulings that struck down state marriage laws now will go into effect, forcing the redefinition of marriage in [Indiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, Oklahoma and Utah] and potentially in other states in the 4^th, 7^th, and 10^th Circuits.’

                “That shouldn’t be acceptable – regardless of your position on same-sex marriage.

                “Voters in 31 states voted to define marriage as being between a man and a woman….

                “And now the will of the people is being struck down by judge after judge.

                “If you think same-sex marriage should be legal, put it on the ballot.  Ask the people of your state to decide in a vote.

                “Pundits have been pointing out that polls show Americans’ views on same-sex marriage have changed in recent years….

                “But those polls are irrelevant.  If people want to change a law they now consider to be wrong, they should do it at the ballot box, not at the courthouse.  Unless, of course, the law is in clear violation of the text of the Constitution.  But no one seriously thinks that when we ratified the 14^th Amendment, we were voting to redefine marriage.

                “Americans deserve the right to choose the laws governing marriage.  Everyone who values the will of the people, no matter what they think on the issue of same-sex marriage, should be decrying how it’s judges, not Americans, getting to decide this important issue.”

                Other comments can be found here.  

                Same-sex marriage was previously legalized in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.  With the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear any of the five cases, they legalized same-sex marriage in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Wisconsin, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.  At this time, it is still illegal in the remaining states. 

                How did our nation arrive at this point?  How did we become so morally sick that we allowed 4% of the population to force same-sex marriage on the rest of the nation?   We allowed this tyranny to come upon us when we forgot the God of this land, even Jesus Christ. 

                God ordained marriage between a man and a woman and condemned same-sex relations.  This has been His law for more than 6,000. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with fire and brimstone because of the wickedness of the residents thereof.  Other nations - such as Jaredites, Nephites, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire -   have been destroyed when they “ripened in iniquity.”  We cannot expect to be treated differently if we choose to continue in sin.  If and when our nation reaches the depth of iniquity of those ancient cities and nations as well as the conditions prior to the Flood, we will also be destroyed.  Either we are guilty of supporting the same-sex marriage campaign or we voted for mindless liberal politicians who did not protect us from this tyranny.  One way or another, we share the blame - unless we stood strong for traditional marriage and voted for conservative leaders.

                Our only hope for survival is to repent of our evil ways and turn to the Lord, even Jesus Christ.  I suggest that we all take inventory of your lives and recognize where we need to change our ways.  I certainly will work harder to put my life in order in order to be prepared for the coming destruction of society as we know it.  It may come rapidly or it may take several years, but it is coming.  The Supreme Court, with their refusal to act, pushed our nation far down the slippery slope to destruction.  I fear for our nation as a whole even while knowing that anyone who turns to the Lord will be saved.  Our safety lies only in righteousness.  I hope and pray that the majority of our citizens choose righteousness!