Sent 11/18

Dear Gov. Shawarzanegger,

Maybe you can help me. I'm a pastor of a Lutheran congregation in Temecula California. Trinity is a congregation that seeks to fulfill a simple mission of encouraging and supporting relationships that are Christ centered and community focused. Lutherans historically view support of governing officials as a duty, often whether we agree with their choices or not. Much like yourself, we take service toward others very seriously, particularly when it comes to the families that live here in Temecula and Murrieta. Our main ministry here is a vibrant pre-school, where we teach the promise and hope of faith and the honor of serving others in response to all that has been given to us. One of our new ministries is a home that offers short-term, emergency sanctuary for victims of domestic violence. Trinity SAFE house is a partnership with a community organization that seeks to hold our precious families together even in the darkest of times. Given all that we are charged to do here in service to our Lord and others, I ask if you can help me in explaining to the congregation, the community, the children and the families how we are to honor duly elected officials who choose to ignore the will of the people. The actions of recent weeks are deeply sad and disappointing. For the issue of Prop 8 to be twisted and turned, using terms like "hatred" and "bigotry" to describe those who hold the traditional view of marriage is, at best, a misrepresentation of the majority view. For you, as a Governor we elected and still support to consider allowing vocal minorities to sway public policy is a deep challenge to your credibility as a leader. My job, as one who is called to speak the Word of God in all situations, is to humbly ask you to consider the affects of attempting to change human history. Never has any ruling government, no matter their political ilk, sought to overturn natural law for the sake of political correctness. It's as if I requested that you overturn the Law of Gravity simply because I have the desire to fly! The debate about "equal rights" is a straw man - as you and any other reasonable individual know that our government protects the rights of homosexuals through domestic partnership legislation. They have all the same rights and responsibilities given any other citizen, and that Sir is a fact. That being said, to change the definition of a term like marriage -which means at its core the same thing it always has, namely the joining of man and woman in sacrificial relationship - is absolutely ludicrous. You may as well say that water is dry and the sky is green, just because you want them to be! So, back to my question- what does a simple pastor do? Rest assured, I will continue to preach the Word- calling each us into repentance before God for violating His creation and proclaiming the forgiveness that is in Christ Jesus for all who believe in His sacrificial relationship, His precious death on the cross for us.  I give you, my Governor, that option today. As I teach that you cannot offer critique without a practical solution, here's mine. Consider taking the word "marriage" out of all legal definitions of domestic partnership. Restore true marriage to the it's rightful place, to the Church and the home, thereby freeing human conscience to either follow the will and the Word of God, as they understand Him or to follow their own will and their own ways. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the people- all the people you have been called to serve.

In Jesus Name...