Franklin Graham: Gay Marriage Bans Being Overturned By ‘Activist’ Judges ‘Overrule The Will Of The People’

Christian leader Franklink Graham, son of renowned Billy Graham, believes that the gay marriage bans being overturned by so-called “activist judges” are overruling the the will of the American people. But have attitudes in the United States toward same sex marriage changed dramatically enough in the last several years that this statement is no longer true?

In a related report by The Inquisitr, Franklin Graham believes it’s possible the Ebola virus outbreak seen throughout the world could qualify for the conditions set forth by Jesus Christ and the Apostle John’s writings in Revelation. Franklin is not alone in this belief, and it’s even speculated that an airborne Ebola virus could bring about the end of the world.

This past week, North Carolina’s gay marriage ban was struck down by U.S. District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. as unconstitutional. According to the Christian Post, 61 percent of North Carolina’s population is against same-sex marriages and Graham told WCNC he believes Cogburn purposefully went against the people’s wishes.

“It’s sad when a judge is able to overrule the will of the people,” Graham said. “This is a democracy, and the people spoke, and we’re seeing that activist judges across the country are overturning the will of the people. We saw that in California. We’re now seeing it here in North Carolina now. I don’t know what will take place.”

Reverend Jasmine Beach-Ferrara is executive director of The Campaign of Southern Equality, based in Asheville, N.C., and a minister in the United Church of Christ. She disagrees with Franklin Graham and instead praises the end of North Carolina’s gay marriage ban.

“LGBT families in North Carolina will now be treated as equal under the law in North Carolina — a day that so many have fought so hard for,” said Beach-Ferrara. “We celebrate knowing that this shameful chapter in North Carolina’s history has passed. At the same time we know that you can still be fired simply for being gay in North Carolina. Protection from discrimination in the workplace is the next step in our push for full equality.”

According to CNS News, Franklin Graham believes the root cause for this political battle is Satan and asks that Christians pray for change.

“The prince of darkness is grimly and powerfully at work in world affairs, and prayer is a great battlefield especially as we pray for those in leadership,” said Rev. Graham. “If there are policies and platforms that don’t conform to biblical ethics, the intercession of Christians can be used in a powerful, transforming way. [W]e should be praying for God’s will to be done for our leaders to seek God and listen to Him.”

While the majority of the people of North Carolina do not support same sex marriage, the same can no longer be said about the majority of the United States. According to Gallup, back in 1996 only 27 percent of the U.S. population believed “marriages between same-sex couples should… be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages.” As of May of 2014, 55 percent now hold this opinion, although the tipping point came during 2012 when supporters of gay marriage became the U.S. majority for the first time.

This trend also follows a change in beliefs over multiple issues defining marriage in the United States. For example, only 31 percent of Americans believe sex before marriage is morally wrong, although opinions over whether affairs involving married men and women remains about the same. Whether or not divorce is considered morally wrong has a reached a new low in recent years, with 69 percent of Americans claiming divorce is morally acceptable. In the same time frame, the majority of Americans (58 percent) came to believe having a baby outside of marriage is morally acceptable. Even polygamy, which is still considered illegal throughout the United States, is morally acceptable to 14 percent of Americans.

Do you agree with Franklin Graham that “activist judges” are overturning the will of North Carolina’s people in regards to gay marriage?