Linda Barnette has issued marriage licenses in Grenada County, Mississippi for 24 years. On Tuesday, she resigned, thereby setting herself up for fines and possible jail time. She considers herself to be a devout Christian and flatly refuses to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. “I am a follower of Christ and I believe strongly that the Bible is my final authority. The Bible teaches that a marriage is to be between a man and a woman. Therefore, because of the recent ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, I can no longer fulfill my duties as Circuit Clerk and issue marriage licenses to same sex couples.”
“Christians are being put to the test,” she said. ‘We’re going to see the true Christians who stand. It’s going to be time to stop talking the talk. It’s going to come down to that.”
You can expect that either the county or local gay activists will bring civil and, possibly, criminal charges against her based on discrimination, bigotry and violation of the Supreme Court ruling.
I congratulate her for sticking by her religious beliefs.
I have had an epiphany of my own. Up to this point, I have been of the "live and let live" philosophy: If gays want a civil ceremony, let them have it. But, I have now changed my mind. I stand with Linda Barnette.
I have been a strong, hard and fast advocate of the Constitution, saying that if you want to change it, amend it. But, when you assess the situation, where do we mere mortals get the right to change the Word of God? There's nothing in the Bible which provides for amendment. Those who seek to alter the Word based on "changing times" fail to understand that most of today's problems in society stem from the lack of moral and ethical conduct.
So, either you're going to stand up for your beliefs, or you're not. This is where the rubber meets the road, where true men and women get separated from girls and boys.
That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.
No comments:
Post a Comment