Kim Davis says that for her to give a civil marriage license to a gay couple would "violate a central...
Kim Davis says that for her to give a civil marriage license to a gay couple would "violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage."
I don't believe that is true. Can someone back up Davis' claim? People seem to just accept it uncritically.
I think the problem here is that there's two different institutions, and we call both of them "marriage." Jesus was talking about marriage before God. But Davis' legal duties have nothing to do with that marriage: her duties are strictly about a legal contract between two people. They are two separate institutions. Your church in some cases may not recognize your civil marriage, and your government in some cases may not recognize your religious marriage. They are not the same thing.
Jesus did say that God joins a man and a woman together in marriage. (Matthew 19:4-7) But again, that isn't civil marriage. And Jesus also said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Mark 12:17)
You may think that even though it is only civil marriage, it is still immoral, and therefore Davis is right to refuse to "participate" in it. But on that view, shouldn't she also refuse to license establishments that sell alcohol or tobacco? And shouldn't she refuse to allow candidates to register for election to public office if they support abortion rights?
What makes civil marriage licenses for gay couples different, that this one duty can be rejected, while all other duties are still fulfilled?
If you have an argument from the Bible for a Christian refusing to provide a civil marriage license to gay couples, I'd love to see it.
I don't believe that is true. Can someone back up Davis' claim? People seem to just accept it uncritically.
I think the problem here is that there's two different institutions, and we call both of them "marriage." Jesus was talking about marriage before God. But Davis' legal duties have nothing to do with that marriage: her duties are strictly about a legal contract between two people. They are two separate institutions. Your church in some cases may not recognize your civil marriage, and your government in some cases may not recognize your religious marriage. They are not the same thing.
Jesus did say that God joins a man and a woman together in marriage. (Matthew 19:4-7) But again, that isn't civil marriage. And Jesus also said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Mark 12:17)
You may think that even though it is only civil marriage, it is still immoral, and therefore Davis is right to refuse to "participate" in it. But on that view, shouldn't she also refuse to license establishments that sell alcohol or tobacco? And shouldn't she refuse to allow candidates to register for election to public office if they support abortion rights?
What makes civil marriage licenses for gay couples different, that this one duty can be rejected, while all other duties are still fulfilled?
If you have an argument from the Bible for a Christian refusing to provide a civil marriage license to gay couples, I'd love to see it.
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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