WASHINGTON, D.C., April 30, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) — Leaders among the faith community and conservative groups alike are drawing a sharp line in the sand in the religious freedom battle, pledging firmly to defy even federal law if the nation’s high court further deconstructs the legal definition of marriage, and calling on others to join them.
“This is the red line we will not cross,” Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver told supporters in a call to sign the Marriage Pledge.
“We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” Staver stated. “But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s. Marriage is God’s.”
Staver co-authored the pledge to defend marriage along with Catholic Deacon Keith Fournier in advance of this week’s hearings before the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of homosexual “marriage.”
The two are joined by numerous other noted public figures in a coalition ready to use civil disobedience if Supreme Court Justices see fit to impose marriage redefinition across the country.
“We’re sending a warning to the Supreme Court and frankly any court that crosses the line on the issue of marriage,” Staver told Fox News.
“Our highest respect for the rule of law requires that we not respect an unjust law that directly conflicts with higher law. A decision purporting to redefine marriage flies in the face of the Constitution and is contrary to the natural created order,” the pledge states in part. “As people of faith we pledge obedience to our Creator when the State directly conflicts with higher law. We respectfully warn the Supreme Court not to cross this line.”
Joining Staver and Deacon Fournier in a broad alliance for natural marriage are former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Franklin Graham, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Priest for Life’s Father Frank Pavone and his associate Alveda King.
Also in the group are Pastor John Hagee, former House Republican leader Tom DeLay, Media Research Center’s Brent Bozell, Vision America Action President Rick Scarborough, National Religious Broadcasters president Jerry Johnson and many others from various religious denominations and other organizations.
“Yes, I’m talking about civil disobedience,” Staver said. “I’m talking about resistance and I’m talking about peaceful resistance against unjust laws and unjust rulings.”
“I’m calling for people to not recognize the legitimacy of that ruling because it’s not grounded in the Rule of Law,” continued Staver. “They need to resist that ruling in every way possible. In a peaceful way – they need to resist it as much as Martin Luther King, Jr. resisted unjust laws in his time.”
Once homosexual “marriage” is elevated to the level of protected status, Staver said, it will transform the face of society and will bring about the “beginning of the end of Western Civilization.”
Dobson agreed that natural marriage must be defended, saying that its redefinition would likely rupture the U.S.
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“The institution of marriage is fundamental and it must be defended,” Dobson stated. “It’s the foundation for the entire culture. It’s been in existence for 5,000 years. If you weaken it or if you undermine it; the entire superstructure can come down. We see it as that important.”
“We stand united together in defense of marriage,” the pledge reads. “Make no mistake about our resolve. While there are many things we can endure, redefining marriage is so fundamental to the natural order and the common good that this is the line we must draw and one we cannot and will not cross.”
Scarborough said the intent of the pledge was to be straightforward and unambiguous, and he called on pastors across the country to take a stand and sign the pledge.
“We’re facing a real Constitutional crisis if the Supreme Court rules adversely from our perspective on same-sex marriage,” he said. “For me there’s no option. I’m going to choose to serve the Lord. And I think that thousands of other pastors will take that position and hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Christians.”
“Christians are being declared the lawbreakers when we are simply living by what we have always believed, and by a set of laws that the culture historically has agreed to,” Scarborough continued. “Right now the courts are changing the playing field and declaring that what the natural eye can see and natural law reveals is not truth. … What will we do, and how will we respond?”
Dobson called out the tactics of the homosexual lobby and warned of the implications of Christians being targeted.
“For about 50 years the homosexual community has had as its goal to change the culture, to change the ideology and if necessary – to force people who don’t agree by use of the courts,” Dobson told me. “I think there’s a collision here and we can all see it and where it’s going to go is anybody’s guess – but it is serious.”
Those behind the Marriage Pledge are calling on others to sign on even while instances of people being penalized for standing for their religious beliefs in the marriage debate continue to mount.
“We have no choice,” Staver said. “We cannot compromise our clear biblical convictions, our religious convictions.”