Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee,
a possible candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination,
on Thursday claimed that gay marriage will lead to the
“criminalization of Christianity.”
During a conference call organized by
the conservative Family Research Council (FRC) to discuss next week's
Supreme Court case challenging restrictive marriage bans in four
states, Huckabee called on states to defy the court if it struck down
such bans nationwide.
“Christian convictions are under
attack as never before. Not just in our lifetime, but ever before in
the history of this great nation. We are moving rapidly toward the
criminalization of Christianity,” Huckabee
said.
Huckabee claimed that such a ruling
would criminalize pastors who refuse to marry gay couples.
“If the courts rule that people have
a civil right not only to be a homosexual but a civil right to have a
homosexual marriage, then a homosexual couple coming to a pastor who
believes in biblical marriage who says 'I can't perform that wedding'
will now be breaking the law.”
“It's not just saying, 'I'm sorry you
have a preference.' No, you will be breaking the law subject to
civil, for sure, and possible criminal penalties for violating the
law,” he said. “If you do practice biblical convictions and you
carry them out and you do what you've been led by the spirit of God
to do, your behavior will be criminal.”
“God help us all,” Huckabee, an
ordained Southern Baptist minister, added.
Right Wing Watch's Brian Tashman
pointed out that this “is a categorically untrue claim that has not
materialized in any of the dozens of states where marriage equality
has been adopted.”