Televangelist Pat Robertson on Monday
told viewers that the Supreme Court's June ruling which found that
gay couples have a constitutional right to marry only affects the
people involved in the case.
Robertson, an ardent opponent of gay
rights, made his remarks during The 700 Club's Bring It
On-Line segment, in which he answers viewers' questions.
A viewer named Sherri asked Robertson
how to respond to supporters of Obergefell v. Hodges.
“I want to respond, but how do I
reply in a benevolent manner where I can show and correct him without
sounding malicious or condescending? After all, we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. Thank you,” she wrote.
“First of all, the government, the
Supreme Court has issued a ruling,” Robertson
replied. “In the legal system, party A sues party B over
marriage. 'I want to get married to them.' And the court says,
'Okay, you can get married.' That doesn't mean that I've got to get
married to homosexuals. It doesn't mean that you have to. Nor does
it mean that it's the law of the land.”
“Congress didn't pass any law. Your
state legislature didn't pass a law. So you're not under anything.
It's a decision of the court having to do with a couple of people.
Now they would like to make it bigger than that, but in terms of the
constitution, it isn't,” he added.
While Robertson is correct that no one
will be forced to “get married to homosexuals,” the highest law
in the United States is the U.S. Constitution, which no state or
federal law may contradict. The court's action affects gay couples
in all 50 states.
Right Wing Watch points out that
Robertson is parroting arguments “made by other religious Right
leaders such as Mike Huckabee.”
(Related: Mike
Huckabee: Gay marriage ruling “so illegal” because it left us “in
state of confusion.”)