Churches vow to fight gay marriage

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- An effort is taking place to coordinate California churches' opposition to same-sex marriage, organizers say.

Campaign organizers are aiming to get 1 million Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, evangelical Christians, Sikhs and Hindus to post lawn signs supporting a state ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Proposition 8 is aimed at countering a state Supreme Court decision this year that struck down a ban on gay marriage.

"This is a rising up over a 5,000-year-old institution that is being hammered right now," said Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Church, an evangelical congregation in La Mesa, Calif.

Susan Russell, a priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Calif., said not all faith leaders should not foist their views on all Californians.

"But I'll resist to my last breath, vote, e-mail and blog their right to inflict their religious beliefs on the Constitution of the state of California."

Political analysts say the interdenominational effort could change the way political coalitions are built in the Golden State.

"Pan-religious, faith-based political action strategies ... I think we are going to see a lot more of (this) in the future," said Gaston Espinosa, a professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College.