Two months after issuing its landmark "gay marriage" decision, the California Supreme Court handed conservatives a victory July 16, allowing a proposed constitutional marriage amendment to stay on the November ballot.

Without comment the justices denied to hear a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and others that sought to prevent the initiative - which easily qualified for the ballot with 1.1 million submitted signatures - from going before voters.

Although their legal ground was shaky, pro-family attorneys were still worried after the May ruling.

The amendment is known as Proposition 8 and, if passed, would reverse the 4-3 decision that made California only the second state to recognize "gay marriage."

In late June more than 1,600 pastors and church leaders gathered at roughly 100 sites for a conference call to pray for and plan strategy for the amendment's success.