PHILADELPHIA -- Sen. Rick Santorum joined conservative Christian leaders at a historically black church here yesterday arguing that religious freedom is at risk because of "liberal activist judges" on the Supreme Court and calling for the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr.

During Justice Sunday III -- a program that organizers said was broadcast to 80 million viewers through Christian broadcast stations and church telecasts -- Mr. Santorum said "extreme liberal judges" are "destroying traditional morality and creating a new moral code."

"The Supreme Court has become the supreme branch of the government imposing its unrestrained will on all of the people," Mr. Santorum said. "The only way to restore this Republic our founders envisioned is to elevate honorable jurists like Samuel Alito who will help replace the hubris of this court with humility and respect for the common sense of the American people."

On the eve of the Judge Alito's confirmation hearings in Washington, Mr. Santorum was also critical of judiciary committee Democrats who he said are poised "to drag these hearings in the gutter."

In a night of prayer, speeches and songs that sometimes shook the rafters at the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, speakers decried jurists who have ruled against prayer in schools, the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, or questioned the utterance of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a founder of the Moral Majority, said the confirmation of Judge Alito would be the culmination of nearly three decades of work to "mobilize people of faith and values."

"We're looking at what we really started working on 30 years ago -- a reconstruction of a court system gone awry," said Mr. Falwell, who praised President Bush for nominating Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Alito.

The Rev. Herbert H. Lusk, who leads Greater Exodus, railed against gay marriage, abortion and what he termed as Christian-bashing, and warned that those who trifle with "people of god" will face consequences.

"Don't fool with the church," said Rev. Lusk, "because the church has buried many a critic, and all the critics we have not buried we're making funeral arrangements for."

Rev. Lusk has been a figure of controversy since he spoke in support of Mr. Bush from his church in 2000 and was subsequently accused by the leader of Americans United for Separation of Church and State of breaking tax regulations that forbid churches from endorsing candidates. Rev. Lusk has denied any wrongdoing.

The leaders of the two major conservative Christian groups organizing the event, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, gave the evening's strongest defenses of Judge Alito, who currently serves on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Dr. Dobson, who at one point described partial birth abortion as a Nazi-esque procedure, said Judge Alito has made it clear "he will be an originalist... who will not legislate from the bench but who will interpret the constitution."

More than 50 protesters gathered outside the North Philadelphia church, many of them young people, holding signs with messages such as "Want a theocracy -- move to Iran" and "Bigotry is not a family value." Throughout the evening, some shouted: "Bush step down -- take Santorum with you."

Thomas J. Glorioso of Chadds Ford, Chester County, said he came specifically to protest Mr. Santorum because of what he interprets as Mr. Santorum's anti-gay agenda.

"He wants religious freedom," said Mr. Glorioso, who described himself as gay, "as long as it's not for me."

Alan Sandals, a Philadelphia lawyer who is one of Mr. Santorum's Democratic challengers, parked a truck outside the church with an enormous television screen that played political ads critical of Santorum during the program.

A campaign spokesman for State Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., a Democrat challenging Mr. Santorum, criticized the Pennsylvania senator for "fiery, divisive rhetoric" at the event.