A US Christian leader has described the redefinition of marriage as a “vast social revolution”, as Florida became the 36th US state to introduce same-sex marriage.
Albert Mohler, who leads one of the largest Bible colleges in the world, described marriage as the “most basic molecular structure of civilization itself”.
He noted comments from one wedding planner who said there are “no rules” with same-sex marriages, telling people they can “do whatever” because such unions are already “against the grain” of traditional marriage.
Supreme Court
Dr Mohler said: “From a Christian worldview perspective, that’s an incredibly revealing statement because this wedding planner, celebrating the commercial appeal of the arrival of same-sex marriage and looking to radically expand her business, says that when it comes to planning a same-sex ceremony the situation is already so outside the bounds of traditional marriage the couple should feel free to do whatever they may want.”
He made the comments before the US Supreme Court’s private meeting last Friday to consider whether it would look at legal cases on the issue of same-sex marriage.
There are five cases pending – from Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, Kentucky and Louisiana – but the court made no announcement.
Imposed
Florida’s voters overwhelmingly backed the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman in a 2008 vote, but court decisions led to marriage being redefined in law.
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) said the situation is illegitimate.
NOM’s President, Brian Brown, said: “Federal judges are acting as if the US Supreme Court has ordered same-sex marriage to be imposed, but in reality the Court has ruled that states have the right to define marriage.”
Headlong rush
Dr Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, commented: “Our society is now engaged in a vast headlong rush into what can only be described as one of the most radical social experiments ever undertaken by any society at any time.
“We can see in the future not only the current marital revisionism, but something like marriage nihilism in the future where marriage can mean virtually anything.”