Jailed clerk vows not to back down; no resolution in sight

[Lite Beer]

Jailed clerk vows not to back down; no resolution in sight
ADAM BEAM, Associated Press

GRAYSON, Kentucky (AP) — The Kentucky clerk who refuses to give marriage licenses to gay couples is spending her Labour Day holiday in isolation at a jail with her Bible.

Deputies in Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis' office issued licenses to three same-sex couples on Friday under threat of jail time or fines if they didn't comply with a federal judge's order. But the drama surrounding Davis does not appear to be ending anytime soon. Davis told her attorneys Friday that she would "never violate her conscience or betray her God."

Around 300 of her supporters rallied Saturday, chanting outside the jail house, "Thank you, Kim" and praying that she could hear them. They called her a Christian hero in a war against the godless and waved signs that read "no to sodomite perversion."

"She won't bow, I promise you," Davis' husband, Joe, told the crowd.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in June, the vast majority of officials have abided by that ruling. Davis and a few other clerks and judges stopped issuing marriage licenses to any couple, gay or straight. Davis was the first to be challenged in court.

A U.S. District judge has said he will not release Davis unless she agrees to obey his order. Davis' attorneys said the only way she would relent would be to change state law so that marriage licenses are not issued under the authority of the county clerk. They claim the licenses that were issued to same-sex couples were not valid.

The state legislature will not meet again until January. Davis could potentially be in jail for months.

"She's not going to resign, she's not going to sacrifice her conscience, so she's doing what Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, which is to pay the consequences for her decision," said Mat Staver, one of Davis' attorneys.

Gay couples who received licenses said they were sad that Davis was in jail. But they were determined not to let her ruin their celebrations.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-06

[stevenl]

Aw, don't compare your actions to Martin Luther King.

[GiantFan]

Thrice divorced, musical chairs on who the biological father is? Seems like inher earlier life, was quite wild. Now born again and intolerant of others. How Godly.

[nottocus]

Good for her for standing up for what is right.

[Credo]

Good for her for standing up for what is right.

And even better that the courts are standing up for what is right.

[Linky]

Why bother about her. She is standing up for what she believes in, the court is following the law.

She was given a choice to let others in the office to legally do what they are employed to do but she refused. She is forcing her subordinates to follow her religious views. I hope they sue her.

She is where she belongs until she agrees to let others follow their legal obligations.

[impulse]

If she won't do what the job requires by law, terminate her for cause and turn her loose from jail to seek other employment and get on with her life.

Why is this still going on, costing the taxpayers a bunch of money?

[capcc76]

Trying to figure out who is the biggest dumb butt, her or those that give a crap about any of this.

[edwinchester]

Yet another bigoted Christian who thinks it ok to pick and choose what 'laws' to obey.

[Seastallion]

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, it's homosexuality they want to ban in the first instance. How can you ban nature?

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, it's their opinion that it is perversion. It's only an opinion. And a minority opinion at that.

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, how does that relate to following a lawful order?

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, religious nutters.

[Seastallion]

Boo, BOO, boo, to the judge.

He shouldn't be waiting for her to change her mind...after all, it reflects upon her contempt of his order.

Jail her ass, under the law, for contempt. Full stop. Period. Sentence her. And fine her, already!

[Seastallion]

Trying to figure out who is the biggest dumb butt, her or those that give a crap about any of this.

Or those that don't realise that important principles of respecting the law, and respecting equality, matter.

E.g, you.

[newatthis]

Good for her for standing up for what is right.

"in isolation in a jail with her Bible."

I hope it gives her time to read it properly.

"standing up for what is right"? No, she is completely disobeying what is written in the Book!

As a believer, the Book is very clear for her:

1Corinthians 5:9-13:

"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside."

These verses are very clear. Christians are not to judge the behaviour of those outside the church, in fact to paraphrase Paul in v12 "It's none of your business."

Also:

Colossians 3:22 "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God."

The key phrase is "in all things." She can't pick and choose what she wants to do. Her job is to issue marriage licences to whoever the law allows to have one.

Ok, so she doesn't believe that gays should be married. Too bad! Her church may refuse to marry them, but the civil registry office is not her church.

[oxo1947]

Oh don't jail her.........it will just make a martyr out of her.

Just sack her---she is not doing her job.....sack her & every other person that wont do their job...............

[klauskunkel]

Jailed clerk vows not to back down; no resolution in sight

looks to me as if the resolution is there already

[Ulic]

The situation is resolved as far as I am concerned. She can stay in jail until her term in office

has expired and if re-elected she can return to jail again. Not a problem. As they so famously

say here, "up to you".

[MadDog2020]

Oh don't jail her.........it will just make a martyr out of her.

Just sack her---she is not doing her job.....sack her & every other person that wont do their job...............

She is an elected official not a hired employee. You can't 'sack her' maybe you mean to 'get in the sack with her'.

Perhaps you should think before post.

[fvw53]

Luckily for the lesbians the Jewish Bible (Levethicus) prohibits only male homosexuality....because those days women were treated as merchandise for marriage and were not supposed to have a sex life ....so ladies go on ....you do not have the male organs to commit sodomite perversion

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, it's homosexuality they want to ban in the first instance. How can you ban nature?

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, it's their opinion that it is perversion. It's only an opinion. And a minority opinion at that.

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, how does that relate to following a lawful order?

""no to sodomite perversion.""

So, religious nutters.

[Jingthing]

She'e not Martin Luther King.

She's George Wallace.

Except the courts neglected to put him in jail back then. So there is progress!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/09/02/we-have-reached-the-george-wallace-stage-of-the-same-sex-marriage-fight/

We have reached the George Wallace stage of the same-sex marriage fight

There's a long and not exactly auspicious history in this country of people resisting court orders aimed at defending the civil rights of minority groups.

...

Americans can and do disagree about same-sex marriage. But in public life, equal treatment under the law ranks among the hallmarks of the American experiment. The struggle to make equality real — meaning consistent, unabridged and unconditional — remains an ongoing project.

[Seastallion]

She'e not Martin Luther King.

She's George Wallace.

Except the courts neglected to put him in jail back then. So there is progress!

It's actually quite offensive to compare her to ML King.

And ironic. Martin Luther King stood up for equality, she's being obstinate about maintaining inequality.

[Ulysses G.]

Luckily for the lesbians the Jewish Bible (Levethicus) prohibits only male homosexuality...

It seems that God and I agree on something. Maybe I won't roast in hell after all.

[Thakkar]

"She's not going to resign, she's not going to sacrifice her conscience, so she's doing what Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, which is to pay the consequences for her decision," said Mat Staver, one of Davis' attorneys.

Poor Davis. She'll just have to settle for the lucrative (ghost-written) book deals, talk show circuit, speaking fees and reality TV shows. Just like Martin Luther King Jr. It's almost as tragic as first century Christians being thrown to the lions.

Sad trombone.

T

[Jingthing]

BTW, George Wallace was also a DEMOCRAT until he later switched to a third party.

People familiar with American history understand that SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS used to be a very right wing, very racist faction.

That totally changed over time (the infamous republican "southern strategy") and now the republicans are associated with anti-civil rights bigotry.

Apparently, this bigoted clerk is a remnant of the OLD southern democrats.

Political parties change over time.

When I was a boy there were some republicans I could actually support, even rather LIBERAL ones.

Oh well!

[Jingthing]

Haters gonna hate.

[IAMHERE]

Wonder if the comments would be the same if she were advocating Islamic law instead of whatever religion she is advocating to control civilian laws.

[Jingthing]

This is a topic about legal same sex marriage in the USA. It's not about underage sex crimes (against boys or girls) in Thailand, or anywhere. It seems this thread has attracted the most virulent troll posts imaginable.

[Cornhack]

The Mormons have it right. If there is dissension between the laws of the Church and the laws of the land, obey the laws of the land.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[Jingthing]

... Everyone said I was nuts ...

Such a surprise that they said that!

[Jingthing]

Oy vey, who lifted the rock?