Rev. Franklin Graham speaks out on the Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision

Last Friday’s controversial Supreme Court ruling to legalize homosexual marriage nationwide prompted Rev. Franklin Graham to speak out. 

No “manmade court” should be able to redefine values established by God, says Graham, the evangelical leader of an assocation named after his father, the world-famous Christian pastor Billy Graham. 

Rev. Graham prays that God will “spare America from His judgment, though, by our actions as a nation, we give Him less and less reason to do so.” Graham believes that since God created marriage, he is the only one able to re-define it. 

The Supreme Court decision was close, with 5 “yes” votes and 4 “no” votes. Those in support maintain that the 14th Amendment gives homosexual couples the right to marry and that this marriage should be recognized in all 50 states. “Yes” votes came from Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonya Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Stephen Breyer. 

The dissenters are furious. Justice John Roberts echoes Graham’s words with the question, “Just who do we think we are?” Roberts says the ruling “has no basis in the Constitution or this Court’s precedent.” The 4 dissenters were quick to point out that the Obergefell v. Hodges case stands as a stark opposition to the Baker v. Nelson case which ruled in 1972 that same-sex marriage was not a constitutional right. 

Justice Alito worries that the Supreme Court’s decision will result in persecution of individuals like Rev. Graham who support the “traditional” view of marriage. 

“I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools,” wrote Alito. 

Graham is the 62-year-old president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He lives in Boone, North Carolina with his wife and five kids.