Huckabee warns of ‘criminalization of Christianity’
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) on Thursday warned that the push to legalize same-sex marriage could make practicing Christianity a criminal offense.
“I think it’s fair to say that Christian convictions are under attack as never before,” Huckabee said during a conference call with pastors, Politico reported. “Not just in our lifetime, but ever before in the history of this great nation.
{mosads}“We are moving rapidly toward the criminalization of Christianity,” he added.
Huckabee’s remarks come as he weighs a 2016 White House run.
He criticized his side of the political spectrum on Thursday for failing to defend religious liberty.
“Supposedly, conservative donors and conservative office holders are running away from the issue,” the Republican claimed.
“Once the courts have been allowed to run over us, and nobody stands up for us in the other two branches of government, then God help us all,” Huckabee said.
“There are three branches of government, not one,” Huckabee declared.
“If the courts rule that people have a civil right not only to be a homosexual but a civil right to have a homosexual marriage, then a homosexual couple coming to a pastor who believes in biblical marriage who says, ‘I can’t perform that wedding’ will now be breaking the law,” he predicted.
Huckabee will formally announce his presidential intentions on May 5 from his hometown of Hope, Ark.
The former governor would join Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) as official GOP 2016 contenders.
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and ex-Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina are rumored to be planning to announce their own candidacies on May 4, one day before Huckabee.
Hillary Clinton remains the only official candidate for Democrats thus far for the next election cycle.
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