Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore
reportedly thinks the Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage is on hold in Alabama. Following the issuance of an order by the state Supreme Court, Moore, who recused himself from the deliberations, suggested gays couldn't marry in Alabama for at least another 25 days.
Parties have 25 days in which to contest the U.S. Supreme Court ruling before it becomes a mandate, Moore said. The Alabama Supreme Court will hold a hearing before the 25 days is up to hear petitions in an Alabama Policy Institute lawsuit.
"Basically it states that in the court's judgment, it (the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday) is tabled [...] until after the hearing (before the Alabama Supreme Court)," Moore said. "It's not in effect until after this hearing in this 25 day period."
But that does not appear to be the case. Per Buzzfeed's
Chris Geinder: "AL Sup Ct did not ~order~ a stop to anything. It
ordered briefing on the existing order not to issue licenses." The Alabama Supreme Court had
previously ordered state probate judges not to issue marriage licenses and Geidner suggests that the court's new order will simply provide a chance to reconsider its previously ruling.
If Moore's pulling a misdirection here, that would make perfect sense. Not only is he fervently opposed to same-sex marriage, he also appears to have blown a gasket since the ruling. He had a breakdown of sorts while speaking at a church following the decision, reports Caitlin MacNeal.
"Just who do they think they are when one person can reverse 200-and-something years of precedent in our country and thousands of years of precedent in western civilization," Moore said on Sunday while speaking at the Kimberly Church of God's "God and Country Day," according to the Associated Press.
"Welcome to the new world. It's just changed for you Christians. You are going to be persecuted according to the U.S Supreme Court dissents," he said.
"Is there such a thing as morality anymore?" Moore continued. "Sodomy for centuries was declared to be against the laws of nature and nature's God. And now if you say that in public, and I guess I am, am I violating somebody's civil rights? Have we elevated morality to immorality? Do we call good, bad? What are we Christians to do?"
We'll keep you posted on further developments.