Ken Blackwell, Ohio's former secretary of state, recently compared an upcoming Supreme Court case challenging gay marriage bans in four states to 9/11, World War II and the Civil War.

The high court's ruling, expected this month, could lead to nationwide marriage equality.

Appearing at a Family Research Council (FRC) panel on how activists will resist the ruling, Blackwell, who now serves as FRC's senior fellow for family empowerment, said that how Americans respond to “a wrong decision in this marriage case” will be just as important as the nation's response to the Civil War, World War II and the September 11, 2001 attacks.

It would be “another one of those challenging moments,” he said.

Appearing on FRC's Washington Watch radio program, Blackwell told FRC President Tony Perkins that the public must “take a stand” against same-sex marriage “because it is just as pivotal as the Civil War, World War II and our response to 9/11 as a human community.”