Since July’s Supreme Court marriage answer, the United States has watched several elected officials either completely step down from their positions in marriage licensing duties, or outright refuse to issue any at all. Two clerks out of Kentucky have made their decisions into tyrannical crusades for Christ because, once again, the great He of the Woo cannot defend His own rules. Worse, these two clerks feel it is necessary to not do their job for anyone, even fellow believers. All in the name of protecting their faith. For the clerks Kim and Casey Davis, it’s become a crusade for legislative martyrdom.
This is where my concern for their behavior starts to divert in a different direction. The courts affirmed what all of us already knew: these clerks have the right to practice their beliefs, believe what they want, and live how they want, but not when it comes to their jobs since they are elected officials to the public. The public being the larger community they must serve. Do your job, step down, or face contempt. Still, these two clerks refuse. Still, tax paying citizens in the clerks’ counties are unable to get marriage licensing from their local governments.
Still, Kentucky legislators do nothing, purposely allowing ideological battles to erupt between their constituents. Idly sitting by not taking any action against her, despite many congressmen voicing disagreement with her course of action. Literally doing the minimum necessary scolding and refusing to take action that they are more than enabled to do since the Supreme Court rejected Davis’ request for a stay while her case is working on an appeal.
My point is that during all of this very publicly incited religious persecution complex debacle, and even after Davis’ stay was refused by the highest court in the land, the very officials who are expected to enforce their elected officials’ duties were just as guilty as Davis, and refused to do their damn job. In fact, they are seeking ways to allow Davis to continue not doing hers by trying to come up with different resolutions that would allow religious exemptions for public officials!
The act is BR101, and funnily enough, it only relates to same-sex marriage.
AN ACT relating to marriage.
Amend KRS 344.130, 402.050, and 446.350 to exempt persons, officials, and institutions with religious objections to same-sex marriage from any requirement to solemnize, or to issue or record licenses for, such marriages.
25th May 1961: A police sign for a ‘white only’ waiting room at the bus station in Jackson, Mississippi. (Photo by William Lovelace/Express/Getty Images)
This isn’t the first time in our history of America that we have elected officials try to force their religion via a majority rule kind of act. In fact, such bills were proposed and passed during the civil rights era in the 60’s. Many got away with discrimination after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by using the very same excuse Kim and Casey Davis are using today. It was perfectly acceptable to turn away interracial couples from bakeries, grocery stores, and restaurants, all in the name of God and the Holy Bible. This is exactly what is happening again today with the LGBTQ fight for equal treatment.
The ultimate source of our problem are legislators like Representatives Stan Lee, David Meade, and Richard Heath, who sponsored this exemption for belief against same-sex marriage. Granted this is a slippery slope in speculation, but if a gay couple managed to get a license, managed to get married, and then sent in their certificate, what’s to guarantee that the office it has to be sent to will even agree to file it? To recognize it? All because a personal religious belief says it is sinful to love another of the same gender? The type of act being brought to the legislature by our congressmen seeks to undermine the law of the land, the right of the individual to equal treatment that is guaranteed by a SECULAR system of government.
Kim Davis is merely a small fish in a very big pond of trouble we are swimming in right now. We must act against the Kentucky political hate machine. An act like BR101 (read doc file here BR101bill-2) does not require a vote from the public, but a majority of representatives. Seeing how Kim Davis is a Democrat, it shouldn’t be any surprise that there are many Democrats who would agree to a religious exemption bill for public officials.
You see, in Kentucky, there isn’t much difference between the Republican and Democratic party anyway in regards to religion, guns, and abortion. This turn of events is distressing for Kentuckians, and I don’t think many realize the larger game and stakes that are on the table at this point. While it is true such an act would certainly be challenged, and more than likely fail in a court of law, it is one more dividing wedge being placed among Kentucky’s citizens.
Don’t misunderstand, I completely agree it is important to stop overly zealous idol worshipers from taking advantage of positions of authority, like in Kim and Casey Davis’ cases, but at the same time, we have a very bad situation where our own government is enabling such religious tyranny. Sometimes, the root of the problem is the better option to deal with, otherwise, like the mythical Hydra, for every head of Kim’s we metaphorically chop off, three more will sprout from the gaping wound.
