So I find myself in a season of change. At fifty years young I’m in the process of remaking my work life . Leaving both the body of a young man and the career best done by a young able bodied individual (law enforcement) behind. I’ve been busy learning the ins and outs of three new jobs, which probably still require that younger man’s abilities, just in a different way.
Busy as I’ve been, much seems to have gone unscrutinized by me. I know you’ve noticed! Probably with joy, that you haven’t been subjected to my opinionated bloviations!
Where to begin?
Kim Davis. Kentucky. Gay marriage.
Now I don’t know her personal story. I’ve read about Davis’ past relational failures. Folks are questioning her ‘moral high ground’ to be making a stand on this issue.
The typical ‘Christian hypocrite ‘ argument. That argument defeats any Christian in the public sphere though, because truth be told all Christians are failures all the time, when it comes to being perfect like God. And that is the intended goal, of the faith.
In actuality, it is only by faith in the one perfect man, Jesus that, does that. It’s as if a Christian puts on Jesus as a raincoat, and it is only He that keeps us from being drenched in the daily sins that rain in us.
It’s not a license to sin, but it’s a realization by the Christian of the inability to not sin, and our need for God to fix it, and He alone.
We then go out and try to, best as we can,
“go, and from now on sin no more.”
~John 8:11
As if to illustrate my point (not the reason they had in mind), the online Web site Queerty shared this illustration. Notice when Davis became a
Christian, and how many divorces she’s had since.
She interestingly seems to be better at marriage since becoming a Christian, …. Hmmmm??
Thanks for illustrating my point QUEERTY!
Yet QUEERTY and their proponents by saying Davis is not perfect and thus unfit to make a stand for her faith (being hypocritical) is a misunderstanding of the Christian faith. The faith is a life long journey of growing and learning and becoming more Christ like, yet never fully achieving that in this life. It looks like, they don’t get it, but Davis looks like she does.
Her stand on this resonates with so many in faith, because there is now a court ruling that puts a person of faith in direct conflict with their beliefs. If she issues the requested marriage licenses, there will be occasion for the license to be validating what the Bible states is a sin. Condoning sin is sin.
So this statement, reeks of worry for many in faith, because we are seeing statements like this in general more often as the calender turns. Not just in regards to government officials
“Government officials are free to disagree with the law, but not disobey it,”
~ U.S. Attorney Kerry B. Harvey
Mr. Harvey, really? Is that true about all government officials? I could show you at the very highest level of government, in this country, laws not just being disobeyed, but totally disregarded. Merely, because the laws don’t fit the official’s political ideology.
The difference, one is a political/ideological disagreement and the other is a religious “belief” disagreement. Of course, these days, religious belief is to be held only privately by citizens and not intermingled with politics.
Yet even having said all that, Davis hasn’t actually treated anyone unequally, or disobeyed any law.
She was ordered by a judge to issue marriage licenses to people which she religiously can not do. The court order would violate her religious conscience.
Her argument from the beginning, was not to disobey the law (which currently has not been passed by any legislative body of record for her jurisdiction), but to have the state to rework the licences, so she, a conscientious objector, would not have to validate them. State officials refused, forcing her to make the decision. She is in effect saying,
“I get it that’s how our country works. So all y’all better reword this here marriage license, cause I ain’t fixin on puttin my name on it. I ain’t gonna force my faith on y’all, don’t force me to validate your darn tarnation. “
~ Stuffed Sock’s musing of Davis’ position.
To her credit she decided against issuing any marriage licenses, not discriminating against any group. By doing that, she also demonstrated the clear position of her argument.
She continues to argue, the state should change the wording on the license. She is currently placed in a position of validation for marriages, that due to her faith, she simply can not validate.
Kentucky’s position is ,” tough cookies, validate them or resign!”
Why should she have to violate her conscience, or resign? I’m sure marriage licenses are a miniscule part of a county clerks tasks, yet she should quit her job because the state won’t rework licenses, freeing her of being the responsible party? Is that fair? Who’s position is more reasonable, Davis’, or Kentucky’s?
Instead of correcting the actual issue, the judge in this case tosses the crazy Christian lady in the clink!
Davis was released from jail yesterday, but as the LA Times points out :
“….. whether she remains a free woman was unknown and depends on if she continues to defy the courts in the name of her religious beliefs.“
~LA Times, Michael Muskal
When a politician defies a court order do they go to jail? So, why jail these, sad, misguided, believers of ancient myths? (Pure unhumorous jest)
This reminds me of a good ol time Bible story. Or as I like to call them “Fables for the Faithful”
It was about a guy named Daniel.
Daniel was hanging in Babylon with his buddies, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These four righteous dudes were the envy of all the kings employees because of their bodacious work ethic.
The green with envy slugs looked and looked for ways to get Dan and his other buddies in trouble. They couldn’t find anything, so they came up with a sneaky, smarmy plan.
They realized the only way they could get him to disobey the king, was to make a law against his god.
They said to the king,
“Yo king, you are so super dee duper, we think that no one should pray to anyone but you, we asked everyone else and they think it’s a great idea too.”
“I like it “, replied the king, “and here I thought you guys were just slugs!”
The penalty for praying to any other god would be getting tossed into the lions den.
Daniel wasn’t consulted and didn’t agree, at all with the new law. He kept doing what he always did, which was to pray to his God three times a day
The slugs, when they saw Daniel praying as he always did, couldn’t wait to slink before the king and rat him out. Which they did.
The king was crushed, Dan was the man, his best employee. Unfortunately there was this new law. Dag nab it!
The king told Daniel, “I hope your God who you serve and pray to will rescue you!” Then Dan got tossed in to the lion’s den, to hang out with some real hungry felines.
So…… You know the rest… Dan doesn’t get eaten, because God sent an angel to protect him from the lions.
Because the king was amazed, like big time, he came up with a new law.
“Daniel’s God is great, and I order that everyone in my kingdom must respect the Lord God, who rescued Daniel from the hungry lions.”
Nice story, right?
People of faith, get ready because we are going to continue to be faced with Kim Davis or Daniel moments, as those who believe such stories are fables, grow further emboldened in denying their creator. They worship their own idols, and view the faithful as uneducated, who they can remove barriers to their political agendas, by making laws against their God.
I’m not one to force my faith on anyone. Frankly, that’s just not how our faith works, but neither should our government force us to violate our religious convictions.
And in light, of the various refusals by some in our government, to enforce certain laws, Shouldn’t we demand our government be consistent with how laws are administered. Shouldn’t others be held accountable as well , not just us Fable Believers?
I’m thinking yes.
