Posted on 02/09/2016 2:13:04 PM PST by wagglebee
ROWAN COUNTY, Kentucky, February 9, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) - A federal judge has turned down the ACLU's attempt to force Kim Davis to violate her conscience while issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Although Governor Matt Bevin granted a religious accommodation for the county clerk to issue altered marriage licenses to homosexuals, the ACLU brought a lawsuit seeking to force Davis to issue the old forms with her full name on them.
"There is absolutely no reason that this case went so far without reasonable people respecting and accommodating Kim Davis' First Amendment rights," said Mat Staver, the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, who is defending Davis. "Today's ruling by Judge Bunning rejected the ACLU's request to hold Kim Davis in contempt of court."
Kim Davis is a born again Apostolic Christian who refuses to issue marriage licenses bearing her name to homosexuals, because doing so would imply her consent and participation in something the Bible deems sinful. "It's a Heaven or Hell decision," she said. Davis contacted state legislators and former Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat, seeking a religious accommodation that would alter the form but allow her office to recognize gay unions, to no avail.
Ultimately, she spent six days in jail last September after Judge Bunning held her in contempt of court for refusing to issue the unamended forms.
"Those who are persecuting Kim Davis believe that Christians should not serve in public office," Senator Ted Cruz said after her arrest.
When she was released last September 8, presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee and Cruz showed up to wish her well.
"Lock me up" in Kim Davis' place, Mike Huckabee said. "Let Kim go."
When Davis returned to work last September 14, she allowed other employees to grant new certificates that did not have her name on them.
Deputy Rowan County Clerk Brian Mason said that Davis “confiscated all the original forms, and provided a changed form which deletes all mentions of the County, fills in one of the blanks that would otherwise be the County with the Court’s styling, deletes her name, deletes all of the deputy clerk references, and in place of deputy clerk types in the name of Brian Mason, and has him initial rather than sign.”
Matt Bevin, the Republican who would be elected governor that November, promptly granted Davis an accommodation and signed the first new regulation on abortion in a dozen years shortly after taking office.
But the ACLU sued to force Davis to issue the old certificates, anyway. Judge Bunning wrote that would be unnecessary.
"There is every reason to believe that any altered licenses issued between September 14, 2015, and September 20, 2015, would be recognized as valid under Kentucky law, making re-issuance unnecessary," wrote Judge David Bunning, a Republican whose father Jim Bunning, was a baseball great and former U.S. senator. "Under these circumstances, the court finds that Plaintiffs’ request for relief is now moot."
Since returning to work, Davis has met with Pope Francis and attended President Obama's last State of the Union address.
"From the beginning we have said the ACLU is not interested in marriage licenses. They want Kim Davis' scalp," Staver said. "They want to force her to violate her conscience. I am glad the court rejected this bully tactic."
Those who respected Jim Bunning don’t feel the same about his liberal son.
Good thing Kim had friends in high places and didn’t own a bakery instead.
14th Amendment, Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States [emphasis added]; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Ping
Trump blew the wrong direction in this gay rights situation.
“In the first century, you could often tell that someone was a Christian by the lash marks on their back. We may be going back to that time.”
Be pro-active like our founders were. They established Committees of Safety. Our equivalent is to elect a pro-2nd amendment, constitutional sheriff in your county, then you won’t worry about “going back to that time.” The sheriff has the legal and armed muscle to protect your family.
He said no such thing. He said maybe the deputy clerks could sign the licenses, or maybe the gays could go to a different county. He also said it was her job, but nothing what you said. I think he had the idea that one couldn’t fight the SC, but, alas, Kim defied and won. So, he was wrong on that, however, he definitely didn’t say that was the wrong job for her.
zUnlike the Cruzbots, I don’t believe that my candidate is the pope and infallible.
Regardless of direction, Trump blows.
Bring a counter suit in state court for harassment and get it before a jury.
You sure about that?
Unlike the Cruzbots, I donât believe that my candidate is the pope and infallible.
If he did say that, would it matter to you?
No, because we have bigger fish to fry right now - and national security is at the top of that list for me.
You might want to re-think your tagline.
It doesn’t matter - you aren’t changing my vote. We have such horrible problems in this country and the number one issue is national security. We can deal with these other issues all in due time. And, besides - that was his opinion - doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. However, I do agree with him on many, many issues. We can’t be a one issue type of voter when this country is going to he** in a hand basket under the obama policies. I think this should not even be a federal issue - they have no business in this. However, they stuck their noses in, and now we have to deal with the fallout.
How convenient of you to cherry pick one line from what he said and ignore the others.
And one final thing before I end this discussion - Trump isn’t the candidate who took money from gays in NYC, now, whas he?
If the ACLU willfully, knowingly, and deliberately attempted to “violate” this woman’s rights, shouldn’t they have been held in Contempt and Jailed??
At least you’re honest in your answer. You tell me he didn’t say it as if I’ve made up a lie about Trump and you demonstrate a need to defend it. You then tell me said disparaging lie needs no defense and it doesn’t matter if it’s true. I have now shown you that he did say it and you deflect to another issue. Classic Trump supporter.
And still the out-of-control usurping courts remain unchecked and unchallenged.
bkmk
>>Be like Christians in Roman times; teach them how to live in the world but not be of the world.
That’s increasingly challenging when events like the Super Bowl parade the perverse demoralization of American culture by having LGBT-activist pop stars sing the National Anthem for the entire world to see.
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