The Australian Christian Lobby has described the jailing of Kentucky court clerk Kim Davis as “heavy handed”, while conservative religious blogger Bill Muehlenberg has described it as a “war against Christianity” and called same sex marriage “protected perversion”.
US Court Clerk Jailed
Mrs Davis was jailed in the United States this week for refusing to administer marriage licences at her Kentucky offices. The 49-year-old Clerk of the Court in Rowan County was found to be in contempt of court and taken to jail by US marshals.
Ms Davis has bound her administration to her word for many weeks now, denying marriage licences to all couples who would seek one since the US Supreme Court declared marriage equality to be a constitutional right.
As an Apostolic Christian, Davis claims she is under “God’s authority” to deny licences to couples despite the Supreme Court ruling.
“Marriage is a union between one man and one woman,” Davis told the courts, “I’ve weighed the cost and I’m prepared to go to jail.”
Australian Christian Lobby’s reaction
Lyle Shelton, the Executive Director of the Australian Christian Lobby said the US court had been “heavy handed” and should have allowed Mrs Davis to simply have removed her name from licenses issued in her jurisdiction.
“Clearly her conscience was troubled by her name appearing on same-sex marriage licences issued by her deputies. Her concerns should have been accommodated without her having to lose her job or be thrown in jail,” Mr Shelton said.
Mr Shelton said that like America, the same-sex political movement in Australia was also becoming more and more intolerant of dissent.
Mr Shelton said bills for same sex marriage put forward in the Australian parliament only offered protections for religious freedom to Ministers of religion, and protections were required for all Christians.
“As we are seeing in America, people other than clergy have consciences too and these people’s consciences should also be protected.
“Millions of Australians of ethnic, religious or no religious background would always support marriage remaining exclusively gender diverse in law.” Mr Shelton said.
While the Australian Christian Lobby is arguing that Ms Davis should have been allowed to issue marriage licences without her name appearing om them, her lawyer has announced that she’s not interested in that option.
After Ms Davis was jailed, five of the six deputy clerks who report to her began issuing marriage licenses in line with the court’s order. The sixth deputy is Davis’ son.
After a long stand off gay and lesbian couples in Rowan Country began receiving the paperwork they have waited weeks for.
The lawyer who represents Ms Davis, Matthew Staver said he believes licenses issued on Friday are invalid because they were not issued with Ms Davis’ approval.
“They are not worth the paper they are printed on,” Staver told reporters in front of the Grayson, Kentucky, detention center where Davis is being held. He added she had no intention of resigning as clerk.
A War on Christianity?
Religious author Bill Muehlenberg, who visited Perth’s Victory Life Church back in 2012 to speak about marriage, has labeled the decision as a war on Christianity.
Muehlenberg has argued on his blog that the clerk was simply doing her duty in upholding the law. Muehelberg said the state’s reaction was fueled by homosexual militants; “…the power of the secular state – fueled by the demonic wrath of the homosexual militants – came down upon her like a ton of bricks.”
In another post the author said the jailing of Mrs Davis was a result of homo-fascism”.
“The homofascists will stop at nothing to achieve complete compliance to their agenda.” Muehlenberg wrote before comparing Ms Davis act of civil disobedience with that of civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King.
OIP Staff
