This week, the California Supreme Court handed down what I believe to be a very important decision. The court rejected the case brought by same-sex marriage advocates who did not want state voters to have a voice regarding an amendment known as the California Marriage Protection Act.

The court's ruling means this act will stay on the ballot for the November election. Known as Proposition 8, the amendment states: "Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." If passed, the amendment would nullify the May 15 California Supreme Court and would ban same-sex marriage in the state.

I had been concerned that the will of the people in the state might be crushed, as same-sex marriage has become such a hot-button issue there. I believe the people of the state – not politicians or judges or special interest groups – should be able to determine the outcome of marriage in California.

Last month, Liberty Counsel – an affiliate ministry of Liberty University – filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit meant to keep the amendment off the November ballot. (Liberty Counsel represents the Campaign for California Families, Randy Thomasson and Larry Bowler.) The lawsuit had been filed on behalf of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, Equality California and three voters against California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who certified the amendment. These groups are adamant that marriage should be open to same-sex couples.

(Column continues below)

Presently, 27 states have defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, with only one state, Arizona, voting against such a definition (by a narrow 51-49 percent margin).

These votes indicate that the people of our nation do not want to authorize same-sex marriage. Further, they don't want rogue judges or courts defining marital law, as happened in Massachusetts (2004) and New Jersey (2006).

I'm praying that marriage wins again in California. I don't believe, as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has stated, that same-sex marriage is the wave of the future and that we should all just get used to it.

It appears that most Californians favor the amendment, with a May 30 poll by ccAdvertising showing that 56 percent of residents support traditional marriage. A Los Angeles Times poll found similar numbers (54 percent) supporting the amendment, with only 35 opposing it.

Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law, said following the ruling: "Those who push for same-sex marriage are willing to destroy both marriage and democracy to achieve a selfish result. Marriage between a man and a woman is best for our children and for our country."

He's absolutely right. In fact, the Heritage Foundation recently reported that children raised by never-married mothers are seven times more likely to live in poverty, compared to children raised in "intact married families."

The American family needs help – not further destruction and confusion.

There is a purpose to ensuring that families remain strong in our nation. Traditional marriage is the backbone of society. We must work together – and this is where our nation's Bible-believing churches must become more effective – to strengthen our families.

The Bible tells us that God advocates marriage. Therefore, our churches must be working to ensure that families are equipped to keep God at the center of all we do. We must do a better job of teaching parents how to lovingly discipline and disciple their children. Parents must "bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4), at all costs!

Marriage is the basis of society and the church of Jesus Christ. We must never fall to political correctness or social convenience so that the standards we know to be true are permanently corrupted.

Related special offer:

"Male and Female He Made Them"