Blind Faith or Blinded by Bigotry (op-ed)
After the Supreme Court’s summer decision to legalize same-sex marriage Kim Davis, an elected county clerk in Kentucky, decided it was her duty to fight the federal mandate.
She stopped issuing marriage licenses. And since her name appeared on each marriage license she restricted her deputies from issuing them as well.
Was this a constitutional crisis, a battle between state sovereignty and federal supremacy? Did Davis argue since marriage is not mentioned or defined in the constitution all matters of matrimony are delegated to the states, and the Supreme Court’s decision violated the principles of federalism established by the tenth amendment?
No, if that was her argument only legal scholars would have been interested in the drama that followed: A lawsuit was filed, a judge ordered Davis to do her job, Davis refused, the judge charged contempt, and Davis was jailed for five days.
But Davis made national headlines and attracted Republican presidential candidates because she claimed that her official signature on a same-sex marriage license went against her religious beliefs. (Davis is an Apostolic Christian which made this a matter of religious persecution to the Christian right.)
Republican presidential candidates showed support. Ted Cruz, who visited Davis in jail, called her incarceration an “act of judicial tyranny”.
Bobby Jindal said, “I don’t think anyone should have to choose between following their conscience and religious beliefs or give up their job and face financial sanctions.”
And former Baptist Minister Mike Huckabee proclaimed, “We must end the criminalization of Christianity!” He also said, “If somebody has to go to jail. I’m willing to go in her place. She has shown more courage than any politician I know.”
Davis was released because her deputies resumed their duties during her absence and issued the marriage licenses. This satisfied the judge and the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer for the couples that took Davis to court.
When hundreds of supporters heard Davis was going to be released they sang “Amazing Grace”, “God Bless America”, waved flags and crosses, and thanked Jesus. (Some probably mentioned Paul and the concept of suffering for his namesake, but Paul also said, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife”. So for Paul marriage wasn’t a holy union it was a social contract to avoid the sin of fornication. So why would a Christian prevent anyone from trying to avoid sin?)
But all of her supporters, who only wanted to rally against the Supreme Court’s ruling, ignored the fact that Davis also denied marriage licenses to two heterosexual couples.
Why were they denied?
To avoid a discrimination lawsuit Davis had to deny everyone, therefore heterosexual couples were forced to remain living in sin while Davis promoted her biblical bigotry against same-sex couples as if it was religious freedom.
Why didn’t Davis resign instead of holding her office hostage and coming close to violating the establishment clause by making her deputies honorary Apostolic Christians by forcing them to follow her faith against their will?
The county clerk earns $80,000 a year.
But a pro-Davis rally organizer didn’t think Davis should resign. He said the deputy clerks that issued the marriage licenses while Davis was in jail violated their oath of office and the deputies should be fired.
Concerning the religious right senator Barry Goldwater, author of Conscience of a Conservative, once said, “Frankly, these people frighten me … They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives.”
First published in the New Pittsburgh Courier 9/16/15
She stopped issuing marriage licenses. And since her name appeared on each marriage license she restricted her deputies from issuing them as well.
Was this a constitutional crisis, a battle between state sovereignty and federal supremacy? Did Davis argue since marriage is not mentioned or defined in the constitution all matters of matrimony are delegated to the states, and the Supreme Court’s decision violated the principles of federalism established by the tenth amendment?
No, if that was her argument only legal scholars would have been interested in the drama that followed: A lawsuit was filed, a judge ordered Davis to do her job, Davis refused, the judge charged contempt, and Davis was jailed for five days.
But Davis made national headlines and attracted Republican presidential candidates because she claimed that her official signature on a same-sex marriage license went against her religious beliefs. (Davis is an Apostolic Christian which made this a matter of religious persecution to the Christian right.)
Republican presidential candidates showed support. Ted Cruz, who visited Davis in jail, called her incarceration an “act of judicial tyranny”.
Bobby Jindal said, “I don’t think anyone should have to choose between following their conscience and religious beliefs or give up their job and face financial sanctions.”
And former Baptist Minister Mike Huckabee proclaimed, “We must end the criminalization of Christianity!” He also said, “If somebody has to go to jail. I’m willing to go in her place. She has shown more courage than any politician I know.”
Davis was released because her deputies resumed their duties during her absence and issued the marriage licenses. This satisfied the judge and the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer for the couples that took Davis to court.
When hundreds of supporters heard Davis was going to be released they sang “Amazing Grace”, “God Bless America”, waved flags and crosses, and thanked Jesus. (Some probably mentioned Paul and the concept of suffering for his namesake, but Paul also said, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife”. So for Paul marriage wasn’t a holy union it was a social contract to avoid the sin of fornication. So why would a Christian prevent anyone from trying to avoid sin?)
But all of her supporters, who only wanted to rally against the Supreme Court’s ruling, ignored the fact that Davis also denied marriage licenses to two heterosexual couples.
Why were they denied?
To avoid a discrimination lawsuit Davis had to deny everyone, therefore heterosexual couples were forced to remain living in sin while Davis promoted her biblical bigotry against same-sex couples as if it was religious freedom.
Why didn’t Davis resign instead of holding her office hostage and coming close to violating the establishment clause by making her deputies honorary Apostolic Christians by forcing them to follow her faith against their will?
The county clerk earns $80,000 a year.
But a pro-Davis rally organizer didn’t think Davis should resign. He said the deputy clerks that issued the marriage licenses while Davis was in jail violated their oath of office and the deputies should be fired.
Concerning the religious right senator Barry Goldwater, author of Conscience of a Conservative, once said, “Frankly, these people frighten me … They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives.”
First published in the New Pittsburgh Courier 9/16/15
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