Pastor Tom Parrish of Hope Lutheran Church in Minneapolis has said that gay marriage would “hinder” Christians' ability to love Jesus Christ.

Parrish is one of four religious leaders featured in a video for Minnesota for Marriage, the group working for passage of a constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage in Minnesota.

“There's a very real threat to marriage here in Minnesota,” Parrish says in the nearly 10-minute video released Thursday. “If judges or legislators were to [impose] same-sex marriage in Minnesota there would be profound consequences for religious organizations, individuals and small businesses.”

“Same-sex marriage cannot exist alongside traditional marriage as our opponents would like people to think.”

“Those who do not agree with this new definition of marriage will be treated under the law as racists and bigots. Even punished for their belief in marriage as a union of one man and one woman.”

“In other words, our rights as Christian citizens to love Jesus Christ and our neighbor according to His word will come under attack. We will see profound hindrances to living out our faith. And a legal muzzling of our belief about marriage.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit our video library for more videos.)