Ruling On Gay Marriage: Anti-Gay Activists Ludicrously Threaten Supreme Court With Extreme Backlash

Impact

Right-wing conservatives put out a head-scratching letter of warning this week, vowing to take a stand if the Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage.

The bizarre letter, signed by over 200 embattled anti-LGBT activists, reads like a sort of "don't you dare!" threat to the high court that ruling in favor of same-sex marriage would violate "Natural Moral Law," and thus diminish its authority.

That's a fairly confusing claim, given the judicial powers the Constitution grants the high court "in all cases, in all laws and equity, arising under the Constitution."

"Redefining the very institution of marriage is improper and outside the authority of the State," the piece reads, before arguing that "The Supreme Court has no authority to redefine marriage."

Among the signatories are the Catholic League's Bill Donohue, Tony Perks of the Family Research Council (a registered hate group), Rev. Louis Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition (also a registered hate group), Tea Party activist Ben Carson, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R), former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer, Focus on the Family founder Rev. James Dobson, and illustrious Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern, famous for such juicy and insightful soundbites as "Gays are an even bigger threat than terrorism or Islam" and "I've taught school, and I saw a lot of people of color who didn't study hard because they said the government would take care of them."

The letter was distributed through the "Freedom Federation," a group "committed to plan, strategize, and mobilize to advanced shared core values to preserve freedom and promote justice." It's unclear what exactly they intended to do with the letter, or to whom it was sent.

"If the Supreme Court were to issue a decision that redefined marriage or provided a precedent on which to build an argument to redefine marriage, the Supreme Court will thereby undermine its legitimacy. The Court will significantly decrease its credibility and impair the role it has assumed for itself as a moral authority. It will be acting beyond its constitutional role and contrary to the Natural Moral Law which transcends religions, culture, and time."

The group then makes a veiled threat at revolution (all 200 of them, and their equally pissed-off aging activist friends):

"Make no mistake about our resolve. While there are many things we can endure, redefining marriage is so fundamental to the natural order and the true common good that this is the line we must draw and one we cannot and will not cross."

Hopes are high that this powerful piece will persuade the justices to vote in their favor regarding two historic cases, Hollingsworth v. Perry, challenging California's Proposition 8, and United States v. Windsor, which relates to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Decisions for both cases are expected to be handed down sometime this week, before the Court goes into summer recess. 

The public is divided on the cases, with 41% saying the Supreme Court should overturn DOMA, and 45% saying it should be upheld. 43% say the federal government should recognize same-sex marriage, while 72% of Americans say that such a thing is inevitable.

WATCH: Tony Perkins making another veiled threat at revolution: