Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is winning plaudits from Religious Right groups after he issued an administrative order directing probate judges in his state not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Moore was an anti-gay activist in his own right before returning to the court in 2013, founding the far-right Foundation for Moral Law, which has published yesterday’s order on its website.

Moore told the far-right site WorldNetDaily that the Obergefell case provides “a wonderful time to teach the people of our country about states’ rights,” explaining that his order reflects the fact that “states do have powers.”

Already, Moore is winning support from those who called on state and local officials, such as Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, to defy the Supreme Court’s Obergefell ruling.

Phillip Jauregui of the Judicial Action Group:

This Order is both courageous and very well-reasoned. We need more federal and state officers like Chief Justice Moore who understand that the job of the Federal Judiciary is not to legislate from the bench, but rather to simply decide disputes between parties consistent with the text of the Constitution. Judicial opinions, like Obergefell v. Hodges, that purport to set policy for all of America are simply not supported by the Constitutional grant of powers given to the Judiciary. Thank God for Chief Justice Moore! Please keep him, his family, and his staff in your prayers!

Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel:

“I applaud Chief Justice Roy Moore for this order reaffirming the marriage law in Alabama,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “The Alabama Supreme Court issued an order in March 2015 barring probate judges from issuing same-sex marriage licenses after a federal court in January of last year overturned Alabama’s voter-approved constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman,” Staver explained. “In Alabama and across America, state judiciaries and legislatures are standing up against the federal judiciary or anyone else who wants to come up with some cockeyed view that somehow the Constitution now births some newfound notion of same-sex marriage.” “The opinion of five lawyers on the U.S. Supreme Court regarding same-sex marriage is lawless and without legal or historical support,” Staver concluded.

National Organization for Marriage:

These legal developments are consistent with the developing resistance in America to the Supreme Court’s attempt to legislate from the bench when it comes to marriage, ignoring the federal constitution in the process and inventing out of thin air a “right” to same-sex ‘marriage.’ The American people reject judicial activism of the US Supreme Court and their attempt to redefine marriage. They continue to support marriage as it has existed throughout our nation’s history, the union of one man and one woman.

Sanctity of Marriage Alabama:

Sanctity of Marriage Alabama applauds Chief Justice Roy Moore for doing his job and clarifying what is, in fact, the current law in Alabama. Chief Justice Moore has a constitutional duty (see Ala. Code 12-2-30) as head of the judicial system to “[take affirmative action to correct any] situation adversely affecting the administration of justice within the state.” He has done this today. We expect that the associate justices of the Alabama Supreme Court will once again follow the line of duty before God and the Constitutions of the United States and Alabama as they did back in March.”

Bryan Fischer of American Family Radio:

Judge Moore the only one upholding Constitution, which reserves marriage to the states. Civil obedience, not disobedience. — Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) January 7, 2016

Note to GOP candidates: sodomy-based marriage is NOT the “law of the land.” SCOTUS CANNOT make law. Art. I, Sec. 1. — Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) January 6, 2016