In a Christian Broadcasting Network
(CBN) interview, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a candidate for the
Republican presidential nomination, warned that allowing gay couples
to marry threatens Christianity.
Marriage equality, Rubio told David
Brody, represents “a real and present danger” to religious
freedom.
“We are at the water's edge of the
argument that mainstream Christian teaching is hate speech because
today we've reached the point in our society where if you do not
support same-sex marriage, you are labeled a homophobe and a hater,”
he said.
“So what's the next step after that?”
Rubio rhetorically asked. “After they're done going after
individuals, the next step is to argue that the teachings of
mainstream Christianity, the catechism of the Catholic Church, is
hate speech. That's a real and present danger.”
Pat Robertson, host of CBN's The 700
Club, applauded Rubio's comments.
“Oh boy, he's coming on strong,”
Robertson
said. “Rubio could be the Democrats' nightmare.”
(Related: Plurality
of religious Americans support gay marriage.)