More than $25 million is being spent on Proposition 8, which would amend the California Constitution to validate marriages only if they are between men and women.

Those on each side of the measure have raised millions from donors such as the Knights of Columbus, which contributed $1 million for Proposition 8, and Brad Pitt, who contributed $100,000 against.

But given our economic crisis, the money would be better spent on those in need.

Come on. Does it make sense to spend millions on Proposition 8 when thousands are unemployed, out of a house, without health insurance and struggling to meet basic needs?

Does it make sense to spend millions on Proposition 8 when recent polls show that most people will vote against it?

Does it make sense to spend millions on Proposition 8, given that the only beneficiaries of the money will be the TV and radio stations that air the advertisements?

Of course not. It’s senseless.

After all, even if Proposition 8 were passed, it would not affect churches that do not wish to recognize same-sex marriage, because California does not require religious groups to perform same-sex weddings if they don’t want to.

The only victory Proposition 8 proponents have to gain from its passage is a so-called “moral” one.

But the really moral course of action would be to do what Jesus and Mother Theresa would do: end the campaign of hate and focus funds on the true work of Christians – feeding and caring for the growing homeless and unemployed.

Our GLBT social services agencies need to do the same. We have more GLBT seniors unable to pay for their housing and health care, more GLBT community members out of work. And this is bound to increase our already imperative need to decrease methamphetamine use and HIV infection.

Re-routing Proposition 8 monies to the needy would please Jesus, and it might placate the Internal Revenue Service, the Secretary of the Treasury and the U.S. Attorney General, all of which are watching nonprofit agencies that raise money to use for political purposes, such as Proposition 8, to make sure they don’t breach their tax-exempt status.

Given federal, state and city budget deficits and our massive national debt, this is not the time for groups such as the Alliance Defense Fund (which is challenging preachers to break federal law and endorse political candidates from the pulpit this weekend) to flaunt its tax-exempt status. Doing so may induce the cash-strapped Secretary of the Treasury to find a new revenue source in taxing the pews.