Updated Friday, June 26, 11:40 a.m. EDT: The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States. The ruling effectively ends the ban on same-sex marriage that was still in effect in some 13 states.
Earlier:
As the U.S. Supreme Court readied to announce its decision on same-sex marriage, a group of black clergy vowed to push back if it doesn’t like the high court’s ruling.
The Christian Post reports that the Coalition of African-American Pastors, or CAAP, joined other Christian leaders at a press conference in Memphis, Tenn., to announce their battle plans: a mass civil disobedience by members of the clergy across the nation.
“If they rule for same-sex marriage, then we’re going to do the same thing we did for the civil rights movement,” said the Rev. Bill Owens, president and founder of CAAP. “We will not obey an unjust law.”
CAAP has been fighting same-sex marriage for years. The organization openly rebuked President Barack Obama on this issue. Owens told U.S. News & World Report that the organization was proud to have a black president but that the “pride has turned to shame.” He added, “The man holding the most powerful position in the world is stooping to lead the country down an immoral path.”
Members of the conservative clergy group unabashedly called for the impeachment of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder over this issue and chastised the NAACP for officially endorsing same-sex marriage.
The Rev. David Welch, president of the Pastor Council in Houston and a white clergyman, underscored the resolve of many conservative religious leaders to oppose same-sex marriage at any cost: “They want to fill jails with pastors across the nation, of every color, denomination and every size who will stand for the laws of God and His truths.”
Owens added, “The politicians and courts have tried to take God out of this country. This country was founded on godly principles. We will not stand back.”