Franklin Graham airs support for clerk who quit Mississippi post after gay union ruling

Franklin Graham lauds long-time friend Linda Barnette for resigning from her position as Court of Clerk in Mississippi following the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage.(Facebook/Franklin Graham)

American evangelist Franklin Graham is voicing his support for Linda Barnette, a former clerk of court in Mississippi who recently resigned from her job because of the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage.

"I choose to obey God rather than man," Barnette wrote on her resignation letter, which she submitted last week. And Graham could not agree more with her words.

He wrote on his Facebook page: "After 24 years serving as a Clerk of Court in Mississippi, Linda had to choose between her job and her faith as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling to allow same-sex marriage in all 50 states. I appreciate her boldness to stand firm for her sincerely held religious beliefs. More and more Americans will be facing decisions like this as our nation continues to go against God's laws and standards."

Barnette and her husband are actually long-time friends of Graham, and the evangelist sincerely hopes that things will turn out well for the couple even after they stood up against same-sex marriage.

"I have known Linda for many years. Her husband, Sherman, worked on the team that sets up my Festivals with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for 30 years before retiring just a short time ago, and she has helped with many festivals herself," shared Graham.

Several people voiced their comments on Graham's Facebook post, with some lauding Barnette's bravery, while others slammed her for giving into the "money-making machine" scheme, since she will be earning tons of money for speaking engagements and the like.

"Good, glad to see her go. She doesn't deserve any kind of pension," someone commented.

On the other hand, some people commended her move by saying, "God bless her for following His word and not the people of this sinful world. We shall all see in the end who was right and who was wrong. We all sin every day, no one is free of sin, but God's word says go and sin no more, not keep living on your sin!"