WASHINGTON — Thousands marched for marriage on Saturday while churches nationwide participated in ‘Stand for Marriage Sunday’ today as the U.S. Supreme Court gears up to hear oral argument surrounding states’ rights pertaining to the definition of marriage.
Today’s effort had been organized by the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council, which urged its “Watchmen on the Wall” network of over 45,000 pastors to show a video about biblical marriage, distribute bulletins about the issue and spend time in prayer with their congregations over Tuesday’s court hearing.
“The consequences this decision could have on our religious freedom, the freedom to believe and live according to those beliefs, are staggering,” said President Tony Perkins in a statement earlier this month. “Should the court redefine marriage, our religious liberty—the foundation for all of our freedoms—will be at risk.”
“The nation will not accept a redefinition of marriage from the court. Similar to the court’s inability to ‘resolve’ the issue of abortion for the nation in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the court will not resolve this issue either,” he continued. “Religious liberty is in jeopardy. The threat is not hypothetical; it is a clear and present danger.”
As previously reported, David Lane of the American Renewal Project and Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz also sent out email to pastors nationwide calling upon them to preach about biblical marriage today and to hold a prayer service on Tuesday during the court hearing.
“We know that marriage is intended to be sacred, beautiful, and nourishing. If you do not influence your congregation’s understanding of marriage, who will fill the void? Hollywood? Divorce courts?” Cruz asked. “The Church has not shared the truth about marriage well; it is time to repent and commit ourselves to courage on this front.”
On Saturday, thousands marched in the nation’s capital for the “March for Marriage,” which was organized by the National Organization for Marriage. According to reports, the crowds, which were bussed in from across the country, marched from the capitol building to the U.S. Supreme Court, with a variety of ages and ethnicities present.
“What we stand for is that marriage is between a man and a woman the way God ordained,” James Hankins, 26, of Detroit told reporters. “That’s why we stand here. That’s why we march.”
Hiram Garcia, 49, of Philadelphia told the AFP that sanctioning nuptials between those of the same gender would create “a Godless society, where people are far from God.”
Josh Duggar of the popular reality television show “19 Kids and Counting,” who also works for the aforementioned Family Research Council, was among those who addressed the crowd.
“The people of every state should remain free to uphold marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” he stated, according to Cleveland.com “The court has the opportunity to affirm what these states and many others did in affirming marriage in their state constitutions.”
Matt Staver of the legal organization Liberty Counsel was also present, and noted that the Supreme Court has made ungodly decisions in the past, including to affirm slavery and to permit sterilizations of those who states deem unfit for reproduction.
“When an earthly law collides with a higher law, we have no choice but to obey the higher law,” he declared.
Reports state that there were very few present who expressed an opposite view, except for a small group of homosexual advocates who held signs and attempted to rush the stage at one point to disrupt the event.
Photo: March for Marriage/Flikr
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