Almost 60 MPs and peers have signed an open letter opposing government plans to legislate same-sex marriages.
The cross-party alliance, including 35 Conservative MPs, said it believed that the government "does not have a mandate to redefine marriage".
Tories have been promised a free vote, but the issue has divided the party.
Plans to allow same-sex marriages, which are backed by Labour, are due to be introduced before the next election, in 2015.
In a letter published in Monday's Daily Telegraph, the 58 signatories said: "At the last election, none of the three main parties stood on a platform to redefine marriage.
"It was not contained in any of their manifestos, nor did it feature in the Coalition's Programme for Government.
"These facts alone should have led to extreme caution on the part of those calling for this change to be made.
'Views ignored'"Instead the government is ignoring the overwhelming public response against the plans."
They added: "The consultation has ignored the views of 500,000 British residents in favour of anonymous submissions from anyone anywhere in the world.
"We believe that the government does not have a mandate to redefine marriage."
The signatories include former Conservative leadership challenger David Davis, ex-ministers Tim Loughton, Sir Gerald Howarth and Sir Jim Paice, and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he wanted gay people in England and Wales to be able to marry, but that no organisation opposed to the move would be forced to conduct the ceremonies.
And Culture Secretary Maria Miller announced a "quadruple lock" of measures to protect religious freedom, including an explicit ban on the Church of England and Church in Wales performing same-sex marriage ceremonies.
While some MPs are opposed to changes, others launched a campaign group - Freedom to Marry - last week backing same-sex marriage.
Education Secretary Michael Gove, London Mayor Boris Johnson, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, and leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson were among the 19 senior figures to sign up.
Labour leader Ed Miliband and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg support gay marriage in church.
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