As Nov. 4 draws near, the negative rhetoric, hateful misinformation and politicization surrounding the California same-sex marriage issue is reaching a crescendo pitch. There are intolerant political operatives masquerading as religious scholars and elders leading the charge to enshrine state constitutional bigotry against gay and lesbian California citizens by overturning their constitutional right to civil marriage via passage of Proposition 8. Why is this?

It is all about political power. The Alliance Defense Fund, the legal wing of the extreme far-right American Evangelical social movement, is serving as legal council to the Proposition 8 proponents. This is the same ADF that declared Sept. 28 to be "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" in which religious congregational leaders were urged to cross the line on church politicking by weaving extreme right-wing political endorsements and oppositions — including messages to repeal legal same-sex marriage — into their religious services.

The ADF activists want to turn our houses of religious worship into cogs in a political machine that will elect candidates of their choice. IRS guidelines forbids tax-exempt houses of worship and other nonprofit groups from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. The ADF seeks to prompt a court challenge to the IRS guidelines in hopes that like-minded far-right activist judges will overturn the separation of church and state.

So now we have a situation where politicians preach religion from the political stump and pastors push politics from the pulpit. This is madness! Constitutional madness! Religious madness! I do not want elected officials placing their hand on the Constitution and pledging to uphold the Bible.

Conversely, I do not want pastors holding up the Bible while preaching politics from the National Republican Party plank. California houses of religious worship and the California Constitution must not be hijacked so as to exclude, demonize and humiliate a particular class of citizenry for the purpose of furthering the political agendas of power-hungry, intolerant political interlopers who have infiltrated our pews. The Lord's house is a house of inclusion and love where everyone is welcome, regardless of color, marital status, age, ethnicity, political party affiliation or sexual orientation.

I urge Ventura County voters to protect gays and lesbians from the same despicable outcome black Americans suffered when racist white men infiltrated our churches and preached in favor of national racial segregation, citing biblical scripture as their authority. Christians are supposed to subscribe to the Judeo-Christian biblical ethic that stipulates how, first and foremost, God commands us to love him with all our heart and, second, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

We fulfill the second command by serving our fellow man and woman and assisting those in need. This basic human and humane concept is the foundation of the Golden Rule. Nov. 4, will you respect the Golden Rule? Will you respect God's love for all his children? Will you respect God, not you, to be the one who judges others?

The ADF, via its Proposition 8 collaborators, wields the Bible as a truncheon against gays and lesbians. It is time for gays, lesbians and straight people of faith who believe God preaches a gospel of love and inclusiveness, instead of hate and exclusivity, to challenge the ADF and Proposition 8. It is time to challenge right-wing political zealots and religious charlatans preaching so-called biblically inspired hate against gay and lesbian America.

Folks, homosexuality has left the biblical closet and is currently taking its rightful place as today's most important civil right issue!

Vote no on bigotry! Vote no on fear-mongering! Vote no the abuse of religion! Vote no on Proposition 8!

— Harris D. Berger lives in Oxnard.