‘We Need to Decide Whether We’re a Pagan or Christian Nation’

June 25, 1962: Engel vs. Vitale. January 1973, Roe vs. Wade.

And, on April 28, 2015, America stands on the brink of yet another landmark case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court—one that, coupled with the previous two mentioned above, could bring down God’s judgment against a country founded on biblical principles.

In other words, according to some, it’s the beginning of America’s date with destiny.

Tuesday is the day when Supreme Court justices John G. Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel Anthony Alito Jr., Sonya Sotomayor and Elena Kagan begin oral deliberations on the constitutionality of whether individual states can ban same-sex marriage. The official decision on the issue is expected to be handed down in June.

As it stands, previous lower-court rulings have resulted in gays and lesbians being allowed to marry in 37 of the 50 states.  

For years, the call for America’s repentance has reverberated around the country among Christian leaders, and some say, with the same-sex marriage issue now hanging in the balance, we have reached a critical juncture.

“We need to decide whether we’re a pagan nation or a Christian nation and get on with it,” David Lane, a political activist and founder of the American Renewal Project told Charisma News in an interview Sunday. “There is no question that America was founded by Christians and on Christian values, and the Christianity was established as the religion of America upon its founding. We’ve lost that—we’ve lost our culture. With this ruling, this hearing coming Tuesday, it’s yet another critical point in our history.

“But it didn’t begin here; it began a long time ago. We’ve removed prayer the Bible from public schools, and in 1973, the courts found it a constitutional right to kill babies. This is just another crisis where we are leaving God out of it, and where nine justices apparently think they know better than God. In essence, this is a ruling where they will vote to determine whether or not homosexuality is a sin. Only God can do that.”

In recent weeks under Lane’s guidance, the American Renewal Project has twice sent more emails to more than 100,000 evangelical pastors encouraging them to hold prayer services from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, during the two-hour time frame that the Supreme Court will deliberate on the same-sex marriage case. The emails also called on those pastors to preach the topic of biblical marriage this past Sunday, two days before the hearing is to begin.

The Liberty Counsel has referred to the same-sex marriage debate as “the most divisive and culturally destructive issue to face America since the Supreme Court’s abortion decision in Roe v. Wade.” A Marriage Pledge, co-drafted by Catholic Deacon and editor of the Catholic Online, and Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, encourages believers to stand with the Liberty Counsel to preserve traditional marriage between one man and one woman. You can stand with the Liberty Counsel by signing here, and you can read the entire pledge by clicking here.

“This is the red line we will not cross,” Staver said. “While no one wants this conflict, we have no choice but to resist an unjust law, particularly one that will force us to participate in acts that directly conflict with the Natural and Revealed Law.”

“The difference between the Supreme Court’s 1973 abortion decision in Roe v. Wade and this one is the coercive nature of it. As horrific as Roe v. Wade is, that Supreme Court decision did not force people to participate in abortion. A decision that says same-sex marriage is a constitutional right will result in coercion against religious freedom and conscience rights. If the Court makes a wrong turn and purports to redefine the natural created order of marriage as between one man and one woman, that decision would be lawless. The Marriage Pledge states, ‘Our highest respect for the rule of law requires that we not respect an unjust law that directly conflicts with higher law.'”

In January 1973, with the infamous case of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a state law that banned abortions except to save the life of the mother, essentially forbidding states from outlawing or regulating any aspect of abortion.

Since that time, according to numberofabortions.com, there have been approximately 58 million abortions—or unborn babies being murdered—in the U.S.

With the case of Engel vs. Vitale on June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court established a precedent that effectively began the banishment of the Bible and prayer in public schools. Education expert William Jeynes, a professor at California State College in Long Beach, told the USA Today that since that time, academic achievement in the nation’s public schools has plummeted, including SAT scores. In addition, the rate of out-of-wedlock births has increased, as has illegal drug use and juvenile crime and an overall deterioration of school behavior has progressed.

“We need to realize that these actions do have consequences,” Jeynes, told the USA Today. “When we remove that moral fiber—that moral emphasis—this is what can result.”

Justice Potter Stewart, who cast the one dissenting vote in the Engel vs. Vitale case, maligned the 1962 ruling by saying of the decision, “It led not to true neutrality, with respect to religion, but to the establishment of a religion of secularism.”

Many Christian leaders believe the results of the two previous landmark decisions have been detrimental for the morality of this country. A similar third decision could produce disastrous, or perhaps cataclysmic, implications.

That’s why Lane and other Christian leaders are imploring believers to bombard heaven to influence the justices’ decision and for God to relent of his judgment on America.

“The Spirit is calling the church to respond in the way that the Scripture teaches—this includes turning to God with all of our hearts and praying for an outpouring of the Spirit (Joel 2:12-31),” Mike Bickle, founder of International House of Prayer Kansas City, said in his sermon Sunday to Forerunner Christian Fellowship Church. “We are to return to God with confidence that He will respond with mercy and kindness. The Lord is willing to minimize, delay, or even cancel the judgment that has been decreed in heaven.”

Lane says that homosexuality isn’t the only issue at stake. Christians must see and acknowledge the entire picture.

“Sin is sin, whether it is homosexuality, adultery or stealing candy bars at the local 7-Eleven,” Lane said. “God gave us the recipe in 2 Chronicles 7:14. We as Christians must understand that. He will forgive us and heal our land, but only if we humble ourselves, pray and turn back to Him. I wholeheartedly believe in prayer, and that’s what it’s going to take. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”