One does not have to be a homophobe or bigot to believe that the Supreme Court made a tragic error today in creating out of thin air an imaginary right for gay marriage.  Friday’s landmark mistake will have legal, sociological, and spiritual consequences for years to come.

First, consider the legal ramifications of Friday’s decision. By enshrining gay marriage as a “civil right,” the Court will be opening a floodgate of litigation against individuals and businesses that refuse to honor same-sex marriages because of religious convictions. After all, if gay marriage is a civil right, then anyone who opposes it is guilty of a civil rights violation. We have already seen bakeries, florists, and wedding chapels sued and, in some cases, put out of business because of their refusal to participate in gay wedding ceremonies. Expect these suits to accelerate exponentially now that progressives have been emboldened and armed with a Supreme Court decision.

Additionally, we can expect both civil and governmental actions against religious institutions that refuse to honor gay marriage as a civil right. During the oral arguments for this case on April 28, Justice Samuel Alito asked the Solicitor General for the Obama administration, Donald Verrilli,  if the a decision expanding the definition of marriage would require religious colleges to offer housing to same-sex couples or risk losing their tax-exempt status. Verrilli responded repeatedly, “I don’t deny this is going to be an issue.”

It’s going to be an issue not only for religious colleges but also for churches that refuse to honor same-sex marriage. I am repeatedly confronted by the straw man argument that “No one is going to hold a gun to pastors’ heads and force them to perform same-sex marriages.” 

Source: Pastor Robert Jeffress, http://www.foxnews.com