Lou Engle, who founded a prayer movement called TheCall, will convene a massive rally at 10 a.m. this Saturday at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. California’s recent Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage was a major source of motivation for Engle’s choice of venue.
In a statement on his Web site, Engle called gay marriage “a reflection of how far down the line we have come in removing the very moral foundations that preserve society.”
“The moral levies in America are breaking, and once marriage is redefined, it will be a matter of time before the entire structure of morality collapses within our nation,” he said, referring to the California court’s decision. “In one sense, [gay marriage] mirrors our own inward moral concessions as a church to the prevailing culture, and it is the fruit of a compromising silence that has failed to confront the rising spiritual and political contenders.”
Engle has been credited in recent years with spawning a national anti-abortion movement, especially among Christian youth. His followers peacefully protest the silencing of infants in the womb by taping their mouths shut with red tape that has “life” written across it.
Engle has said the blood of nearly 50 million babies slaughtered since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the U.S. is piling up to the heavens and “crying for justice.”
Next Tuesday’s general election ballot in California includes Proposition 8, an initiative titled “Eliminates Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry,” which if passed would amend the state constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Along with thousands of other Christians, Engle for 12 hours will plead for God to show mercy on America in the midst of its moral decline. “This is not a time for hiding in caves,” he said ahead of the event. “This is a time to resist mightily the spirit of peaceful coexistence and apathetic resignation in the face of this prevailing darkness.”
Admission to the stadium event on Saturday is free, but registration is required (thecall.com). —Paul Steven Ghiringhelli
