How Evangelical Leaders Responded to the Supreme Court Marriage Ruling

In light of last Friday’s Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex “marriage” nationwide, the leading evangelical pastors and organizations have spoken out on the issue – emphasizing everything from the narrative of Genesis to the character of American democracy, from the rule of law to the reign of God. 17 Former Southern Baptist Convention Presidents: Just prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling, 17 past president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) stretching back to 1981 issued a private statement that reads in part: “We will not accept, nor adhere to, any legal redefinition of marriage issued by any political or judicial body including the United States Supreme Court. We will not recognize same-sex “marriages”, our churches will not host same-sex ceremonies, and we will not perform such also believe religious freedom is at stake within this critical issue – that our first duty is to love and obey God, not the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination with over 16 million members, we stake our very lives and future on the Truth of God’s Word. We also join together to support those who stand for natural marriage in the corporate world, the marketplace, education, entertainment, media and elsewhere with our prayers and influence, and resources.” (Signatories include: Bailey E. Smith, 1981, 1982; Morris H. Chapman, 1991, 1992; James T. Draper, Jr., 1983, 1984; Charles F. Stanley, 1985, 1986; Jerry Vines, 1989, 1990; H. Edwin Young, 1993, 1994; James B. Henry, 1995, 1996; Tom Elliff, 1997, 1998; Paige Patterson, 1999, 2000; James Merritt, 2001, 2002; Jack Graham, 2003, 2004; Bobby Welch, 2005, 2006; Frank S. Page, 2007, 2008; Johnny M. Hunt, 2009, 2010; Bryant Wright, 2011, 2012; Fred Luter, 2013, 2014; and Ronnie Floyd, 2015, 2016.) John Hagee, Cornerstone Church, San Antonio, Texas: In a special video message, Pastor John Hagee called the 5-4 ruling a “naked judicial power grab” that is “at odds with our system of government.” Under the Constitution, states have the right to define marriage, “even if it offends the arrogance of the Supreme Court.” More importantly, the ruling has already been overturned by a higher authority. “The Supreme Court in Washington has handed down its decision in a 5-4 ruling supporting same-sex marriage. But the Supreme Court in Heaven has handed down its unanimous decision in a 3-0 ruling from God the Father Son and HS recorded int eh Book of Genesis 2:24 stating, ‘Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh.’ Marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage will never be accepted in Heaven as legitimate, so says God Almighty. This Supreme Court has made America the new Sodom and Gomorrah. God will have to judge America, or God will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. We are at that place where God is asking the church: Who is on God’s side?” Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse: On his Facebook page, Rev. Graham said that the Supreme Court “did not define marriage, and therefore is not entitled to re-define it. Long before our government came into existence, marriage was created by the One who created man and woman—Almighty God—and His decisions are not subject to review or revision by any manmade court. God is clear about the definition of marriage in His Holy Word: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). I pray God will spare America from His judgment, though, by our actions as a nation, we give Him less and less reason to do so.” He later said, “There will be persecution of Christians for our stand.” Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: “The threat to religious liberty represented by this decision is clear, present, and inevitable. Assurances to the contrary, the majority in this decision has placed every religious institution in legal jeopardy if that institution intends to uphold its theological convictions limiting marriage to the union of a man and a of the most dangerous dimensions of this decision is evident in what can only be described as the majority’s vilification of those who hold to a traditional view of marriage as exclusively the union of a man and a must contend for religious liberty for all, and focus our energies on protecting the rights of Christian citizens and Christian institutions to teach and operate on the basis of Christian conviction.