Franklin Graham, an evangelical pastor and missionary and the son of Christian evangelist Billy Graham, has taken to social media to proselytize about the perils Christians face if same-sex marriage becomes federal law.
"If our nation’s highest court decrees same sex marriage as the law of the land, the consequences will be great,"
Graham wrote in a May 9 Facebook post. "It sets the stage for persecution of believers committed to living by the truth of God’s Holy Word."
A vocal opponent to gay marriage, Graham characterized the high court’s pending decision as a "pivotal moment in the history of America" that "will rank as the most historic and far-reaching judgment of the 21st century."
"As nine U.S. Supreme Court justices consider arguments brought before the court on April 28 about whether to make same-sex marriage a constitutional right, we need to pray fervently for the wisdom and counsel of God to work its way into their hearts and minds of those making this momentous decision," he wrote.
Graham, who serves as president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is soliciting his 1.4 million Facebook subscribers and 242,000 Twitter followers to join him in a daily prayer for each Supreme Court justice,
according to the International Business Times.
Federally sanctioned same-sex marriage could result in the closure of Christian universities, organizations, churches and others "who operate by Christian principles," according to a May 11 Facebook post by Graham.
"God hears our prayers, and we need to pray that He will work mightily in the hearts and minds of our Supreme Court justices right now as they consider this monumental issue," Graham posted on his Facebook page. "There are nine U.S. Supreme Court justices, and I would like to pray specifically for one each day.
"Today would you join me in praying for Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. who leads the court? A Harvard graduate, he was nominated as Chief Justice by President George W. Bush and has served the court for ten years this September."
A decision on the issue is not expected until June.