Contact: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, Family Research Council, 866-372-6397

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Late last night, U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves issued an injunction blocking HB 1523, the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act."

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins (photo) released the following statement:

"This decision is an example of why the American people are increasingly fed up with unelected judges telling them that they have no say over their own government or their own freedoms. This law, which was approved overwhelmingly by the elected representatives of the citizens of Mississippi, simply stops government discrimination against people who believe what has been the norm for 5,000 years, that marriage is between a man and a woman. It does not authorize any government office or official to deny services, and requires officials to provide lawful marriage licenses.

"While Judge Reeves issued his decree under the cloak of darkness last night, the judge's religious animus against the people of Mississippi is as clear as day. His opinion is more a work of fiction than law as he stretches the law like silly putty in attempt to show harm from the law. Under this judge's reasoning, any narrowly tailored conscience or religious freedom protections against government persecution would be invalid.

"This law was designed to protect against state-imposed orthodoxy on marriage. It does not change the definition of marriage at all. How the judge could miss that is baffling.

"Family Research Council commends Mississippi's elected leaders for standing up for the freedom of their citizens to believe and live according to those beliefs. No person should be punished by the government with crippling fines or face disqualification for simply believing what President Obama believed just a few years ago, that marriage is the union of a man and a woman."

Click here to watch the video of Governor Phil Bryant receiving FRC's Samuel Adams Religious Freedom Award.

Survey finds 63 percent of Mississippians support religious freedom law.