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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbySeptember 1st, 2015
Here is Kim Davis’ explanation as to why she is entitled to thwart the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Rowan County, Kentucky.
I have worked in the Rowan County Clerk’s office for 27 years as a Deputy Clerk and was honored to be elected as the Clerk in November 2014, and took office in January 2015. I love my job and the people of Rowan County. I have never lived any place other than Rowan County. Some people have said I should resign, but I have done my job well. This year we are on track to generate a surplus for the county of 1.5 million dollars.
In addition to my desire to serve the people of Rowan County, I owe my life to Jesus Christ who loves me and gave His life for me. Following the death of my godly mother-in-law over four years ago, I went to church to fulfill her dying wish. There I heard a message of grace and forgiveness and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I am not perfect. No one is. But I am forgiven and I love my Lord and must be obedient to Him and to the Word of God.
I never imagined a day like this would come, where I would be asked to violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage. To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience. It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision. For me it is a decision of obedience. I have no animosity toward anyone and harbor no ill will. To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It is about marriage and God’s Word. It is a matter of religious liberty, which is protected under the First Amendment, the Kentucky Constitution, and in the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Our history is filled with accommodations for people’s religious freedom and conscience. I want to continue to perform my duties, but I also am requesting what our Founders envisioned – that conscience and religious freedom would be protected. That is all I am asking. I never sought to be in this position, and I would much rather not have been placed in this position. I have received death threats from people who do not know me. I harbor nothing against them. I was elected by the people to serve as the County Clerk. I intend to continue to serve the people of Rowan County, but I cannot violate my conscience.
You see, she has the religious liberty to cause the County to deny civil rights to gay couples. That’s all she’s asking. Why are you so unaccomodating?
After all, our Founders intended that civil servants use their own religion to deny services to those of other beliefs. That’s what the Second Amendment is all about: Congress cannot establish religion; that’s the role of County Clerks.
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Ryan
September 1st, 2015
How is it a heaven or hell decision? Even the LDS Church’s Article of Faith states in #12: We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. So her statement does not go along with all Christian religions, just her few specific beliefs that she is pushing. I feel sorry for her that she is so engrained now that she cannot change position without people calling her a hypocrite on it, even if she is now with her divorces. I hope she can figure out a way out of all this. I do not wish her ill in anyway just hope she remembers the adage to “Love thy neighbor as thyself”.
Priya Lynn
September 1st, 2015
“There I heard a message of grace and forgiveness and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I am not perfect. No one is. But I am forgiven…”.
See, this is what I’m talking about Timothy. The typical American christian thinks god can forgive their wrongdoings and whether or not the person they’ve wronged has forgiven them is irrelevant. Which of course is exactly backwards.
Timothy Kincaid
September 1st, 2015
Priya Lynn,
She’s not saying what you claim she’s saying. Nor is she “The typical American christian”. Few would consider the Apostolic Church to be the American Christian archetype.
Rob
September 1st, 2015
I wonder if Jesus Christ, to whom she has given herself (along with 4 husbands) is going to intervene when her ass and the asses of her entire staff are called before the court on Thursday morning.
Rob
September 1st, 2015
http://news.yahoo.com/clerk-issue-gay-marriage-licenses-court-ruling-083217111.html
KZ
September 1st, 2015
I’m guessing it would go a little like this…
GOD: “Welcome to heaven, Kim. Before I let you in to frolick forever in paradise, let me evaluate your life’s deeds. Believer in Christ. Check. Spread the good news. Check. Read the Bible. Check. Observed the Sabbath. Check. Gave to the poor. Check. Fed the hungry. Check. Housed the homeless. Check. Clothed the naked. Check. Converted some heathens. Check. Looks like everything’s set- Oops. On February 14th, 2019, you issued a marriage license to a Sodomite couple. Ok, into the pit of eternal fire you go.”
*opens trap door*
KIM: AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!
Richard Rush
September 1st, 2015
“To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It is about marriage and God’s Word.”
Where have I heard that before. Oh, that’s right . . . from NOM during the good ol’ days when they thought a Federal marriage amendment was within the realm of possibility.
Richard Rush
September 1st, 2015
“It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision.”
This moment of honesty may be revealing. Like multitudes of TrueChristians, she is obviously traveling through life walking on eggshells with worry that her loving God may condemn her to eternal torture. And she has one significant problem (actually three of them) that she is surely worried sick about . . . she is on her fourth marriage, which is three too many. So, maybe her Herculean effort to please God by denying marriage licenses to gay couples is calculated to inspire God to give her a pass on her three sinful marriages.
Priya Lynn
September 1st, 2015
Timothy said “She’s not saying what you claim she’s saying.”.
She put first and formost being forgiven by god and made no mention of seeking or wanting forgiveness from the people she’s done wrong to. Its clear from that alone she thinks god’s forgiveness absolves her of guilt, that comforts her and she places little if any importance on receiving the forgiveness of those she’s wronged.
Priya Lynn
September 1st, 2015
If a christian has the correct viewpoint on forgiveness they have no comfort in the thought that god forgives them when they people they’ve wronged have not. Davis is clearly only about having god’s forgiveness. She couldn’t care less about the forgiveness of the people she’s wronged including all the gays and lesbians she’s trespassing against.
Priya Lynn
September 1st, 2015
Richard said ” So, maybe her Herculean effort to please God by denying marriage licenses to gay couples is calculated to inspire God to give her a pass on her three sinful marriages.”.
Great insight, Richard.
Dave H
September 1st, 2015
“Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s. Render unto God that which is God’s.”
Hmmm… who was it that said that? Oh, that’s right: JESUS. Maybe in her four years of being a Christian, she hasn’t stumbled upon that lesson yet.
No one is forcing her church to perform same-sex weddings, and that day should never come. But she doesn’t work for her church, she works for the government. If she can’t bring herself to observe the law and follow the work requirement of her employer, she should resign or be fired.
Timothy Kincaid
September 1st, 2015
Richard,
it’s worth noting that her conversion came just a few years ago, after her three divorces. So she likely believes herself to be forbidden to make divorce number four, a post-conversion divorce.
As it is likely that her three previous husbands have remarried or found a woman since the divorce (I’m guessing they don’t have high standards), then she is free to continue in this marriage.
Even Apostolic Pentecostals allow remarriage after her three previous spouses “commit adultery” by remarrying.
This is not really a useful argument for us.
Priya Lynn,
You may believe anything you like about what you imagine to be Christian theology. It’s cute.
Mark F.
September 1st, 2015
I’m an ex-Catholic, and Catholics clearly are obliged to promise to make amends to people they have wronged before forgiveness is granted.
Timothy Kincaid
September 1st, 2015
By the way,
If anyone is wondering why Davis looks like she does: no makeup, long hair, plain dresses or skirts, no jewelry, that is because she belongs to a sect that emphasizes modesty in appearance among women.
Rob
September 1st, 2015
Mark F. I’m pretty sure in her books we are not “people”.
Ben in oakland
September 1st, 2015
Shorter version of her lengthy statement is:
Freedom of religion is for me.
The freedom to follow my religion is for you.
I don’t want to make her a martyr. But she has painted herself into an either/or corner. The color of the paint is hypocrisy, with sanctimony trim.
Joseph Singer
September 1st, 2015
Well, Kimmie, since we live in a democracy not a theocracy you need to obey the laws. The bible does not run our lives. It may run yours but you need to obey the law or you will be put in jail.
Patrick Smith
September 2nd, 2015
“Priya Lynn,
You may believe anything you like about what you imagine to be Christian theology. It’s cute”
That was pretty dismissive to someone that has a valid point, I am truly disappointed.
It may be framed improperly, or maybe you are just misunderstanding, but, I agree that you cant go through life hurting other people and say “thats fine , I made it right with God”
Maybe its less Christian Theology and more spirituality, But once you admit your sin to your god, then its time to make it right to those you hurt/offended or sinned against.
This woman however seems to believe that she was given free will to make any mistakes or sin in any way up until her conversion, but no one else has the free will to do the same, whereby she is playing God.
Richard Rush
September 2nd, 2015
Patrick said, “This woman however seems to believe that she was given free will to make any mistakes or sin in any way up until her conversion, but no one else has the free will to do the same, whereby she is playing God.”
And that makes me wonder how she would have reacted if a clerk had refused to issue a marriage license for her 2nd, 3rd, or 4th marriage . . . because God, and most importantly, it being “a Heaven or Hell decision” for the clerk.
Richard Rush
September 2nd, 2015
Kim forgot to mention in her statement that “she gave birth to twins five months after divorcing her first husband. They were fathered by her third husband but adopted by her second. Davis worked at the clerk’s office at the time of each divorce and has since remarried.”
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/09/01/kentucky-clerk-fighting-gay-marriage-has-wed-four-times?src=usn_tw
It seems increasingly obvious that she was seeking to put the spotlight on others who are viewed as being more of a stench in the nostrils of God than she is, and settled on the filthy stinking homos as her target in the hope of making herself look righteous.
Priya Lynn
September 2nd, 2015
Timothy said “You may believe anything you like about what you imagine to be Christian theology. It’s cute.”.
Your theology and the typical American christian’s theology are two entirely different things – you’re confusing the two. The typical American christian wasn’t raised in a pasonage and deeply immersed in religion like you.
Not to mention that when I write what typical christians believe, you read that and in your head fabricate a cartoon version of what I’ve said. And then dismiss that straw man as me not understanding what typical christians believe. I.E. when you absurdly suggested I think christians believe in a god that is Santa Claus that gives them whatever they ask for. That couldn’t have been farther from what I wrote and is typical of how you twist what I write in your mind.
Your opinion on the validity of what I say about christians and christianity frequently has little basis in reality.
JEM
September 2nd, 2015
Richard Rush said “And that makes me wonder how she would have reacted if a clerk had refused to issue a marriage license for her 2nd, 3rd, or 4th marriage.”
That may be the most insightful statement made today.
NancyP
September 2nd, 2015
No one disputes Kim Davis’ right to believe. She has the right to resign, and other people in her general position have done so. She is trying to make a stand, but is unwilling to pay the price. Tough. She is paid to do the County’s job, not paid to do her particular congregation’s job.
I am pretty sure that the Liberty Univ. lawyers have given her false encouragement, and that she has been gullible enough to go along with them – or, she realizes she doesn’t have a chance, but she thinks she will do better for herself financially or in lifestyle by writing a book or going on the preaching circuit. She’s probably getting some reinforcement from her pastor as well. A lot of conservative Christians have gone from “not of this world” to “owning this world”.
Timothy Kincaid
September 2nd, 2015
A lot of conservative Christians have gone from “not of this world†to “owning this worldâ€.
Too true
Hunter
September 3rd, 2015
Whatever “typical Christians” believe (and what is a “typical Christian”? It seems there are as many variations on Christianity as there are practitioners, sometimes — what are there, something like 3,000 recognized sects and denominations?), Davis is pretty plainly a pick-and-choose, cafeteria “Christian” using Jesus to justify her factory-installed prejudices. (And I very much doubt that Jesus would treat anyone the way she has treated her constituents. Chalk one up for arrogance and narcissism.)
I just wish someone would walk into her little kingdom and read her the first couple verses of Romans 13:
“1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Hunter
September 3rd, 2015
An add-on (and I really wish the comments here had an “edit” function): The reading should be very loud and public, and at least one camera should remain focused on Davis’ face at all times, to catch her reaction.
Viral video, guaranteed.
eddie
September 3rd, 2015
Timothy Kincaid said:
By the way,
If anyone is wondering why Davis looks like she does: no makeup, long hair, plain dresses or skirts, no jewelry, that is because she belongs to a sect that emphasizes modesty in appearance among women.
Well…. I don’t know about you guys but I think she looks hot and I hope to be #5
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