What would you do if you were put in a position in your workplace in which you had to do something that went against your religion? Would you do what you needed to for your job or would you chose to uphold your moral and religious beliefs and refuse to do what was asked of you for your job? This past week, the world watched as Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples due to reasons pertaining to her religious beliefs she claims.
Many news stations and several social media outlets have posted a video of the courthouse clerk, Kim Davis, from Kentucky refusing to issue a marriage license to David Moore and David Ermold despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in favor of same sex marriage. The video shows Davis standing firm to her decision not to sign the marriage license and states that she is following “God’s word”. Although as courthouse clerk, Davis is supposed to sign marriage licenses, this is not the first same sex couple she has denied. Davis’ lawyers assure the public that although she is committed to her job, issuing the licenses would violate her religious freedom and God’s definition of marriage. Despite the controversy surrounding her decision, Davis refuses to resign from her position and even has many people in her small Appalachian town supporting her decision to uphold her religious beliefs.
Although Davis is extremely religious and upholds her Apostolic Christian beliefs, she was not always this way. In fact, it was not until recently that Davis had a religious conversion after attending church following the death of a loved one. Davis has been married four times and has had children out of wedlock. With her past now in the limelight, it is clear that Davis has not always upheld the religious standards that she does now.
Regardless of her religious beliefs, Davis is paid by the state to do her job and part of her job entails signing marriage licenses. Taxpayers should expect that when they need a marriage license signed, Davis will sign it. As a state employee, she should not have acted against the ruling of the Supreme Court. If her religious beliefs do not enable her to fulfill her job requirements, then it is probably best that she resign from her position and find a career in which her moral standards are met.
