From KELOland, Attorney General Marty Jackley notes something specific in the argument over same-sex marriage in SD:
Jackley said Thursday that the constitutional right to marry that’s now guaranteed to same-sex couples must coexist with the constitutional right of freedom of religion for county employees.
Coming from the person who would defend the state in a lawsuit, that’s a significant statement.
If a taxpayer paid employee refuses to perform a lawful duty of their job….they should be fired..
I realize that this is a complicated issue but I too have to wonder how a government employee is harmed by waiting on a gay person? How are they harmed by stamping a marriage license? No-one can force a belief on others but public employees should be able to respect all of the people paying their salaries.
Do they refuse service to someone who has had multiple divorces? Hmmm, I’ll bet that somehow passes their religious test. Some do not approve of inter-denominational marriage. Refused? Hardly. Living together before marriage? How about them? That’s right. They get waited on. So, why just gays? I cannot wait to hear why we deserve this unique denial-of-service from you good people. What is the answer, Marty Jackley?
Does the IRS employee have the right to refuse tax refunds to gay folks filing jointly too? This is all ridiculous and I have to say that it is more than a little insulting.
Private churches and religious institutions are a different matter. They have historically been allowed greater flexibility and I am confident that will continue.
The best response to all this gay marriage stuff was given by a gay Republic legislator on the news several years ago. He was glad that he now had the right to marry, but he was hoping that all those who now have that right also respect the rights of those who hold deeply religious beliefs that conflict with this.
This is my hope too. Tolerance and respect have to work both ways. Just because a person is not comfortable participating in a gay marriage ceremony in any way (pictures, cakes, whatever) does not mean that they are necessarily bigoted or racist or whatever other name such people are now called. If you want respect, then give it also.
Sorry, not several years ago, but several days ago just after this decision was handed down.
From Father Robert Barron:
“In the wake of the United States Supreme Court decision regarding gay marriage, a not inconsiderable number of Catholics feel beleaguered and more than a little afraid. Their fear comes from the manner in which the decision was framed and justified. Since same-sex marriage is now recognized as a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution, those who oppose it can only be characterized as bigots animated by an irrational prejudice. To be sure, Justice Kennedy and his colleagues assure us that those who have religious objections to same-sex marriage will be respected, but one wonders how such respect is congruent with the logic of the decision. Would one respect the owners of a business who refuse to hire black people as a matter of principle? Would not the government, in point of fact, be compelled to act against those owners? The proponents of gay marriage have rather brilliantly adopted the rhetoric of the civil rights movement, precisely so as to force this conclusion. And this is why my mentor, the late Francis Cardinal George, so often warned against the incursions of an increasingly aggressive secular state, which, he argued, will first force us off the public stage into privacy and then seek to criminalize those practices of ours that it deems unacceptable.”
Well said. Who would ever have thought that the USA would ever “progress” so far that Christianity and founding principles are the bad guys.
And what a great heritage it would be to continue to be joined with countries like Algerian, Egypt, Kenya, Sudan, Swaziland, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Ubekistan, Yemen, Russia, Ukraine and about seventy others which express their religious freedom and responsibilities and outright deny same-gender marriages or make same-sex activities illegal.
I have not been able to find even one country that’s considered a developed country on the planet that has laws against same-sex activities – the US were last of them to recognize the reality.
I wonder if it would be too much to ask Father Barron to go to one of the aforementioned (or many other) countries that still denied marriage to same-sex couples and preach to those good folks there – essentially preaching to his choir.
I imagine he won’t, just as the loudest gun advocates won’t go to join the sweetest gun rights country in the world – Somalia!
It’s great that Marty is “ready to fight” for religious freedoms. The overriding situation here, however is that any employee of the government is, in effect, an agent of the government. If the government says “as an employee of the government, thou shalt issue a marriage license to any two people wanting one,” then thou shalt issue a marriage license.
If you don’t do your job, then find another job or get fired.
I had a friend – a county employee – who once refused to spray kosha weeds as a because he liked the huge tumblers they made in the late fall. He got fired from his weed sprayer job because he did not spray the weeds, as directed by his boss.
Do your job, public employees. Or quit and get another one if your job is so objectionable. Or get fired. Either way, you have only two choices here. Do your job or get replaced by someone who will.
If county employees do not wish to provide services to perceived sinners, AG Jackley thinks it is OK? Interesting.
Gotta love that glass house of yours, Marty.
Jimmy, probably anyone who is paying attention realizes that Marty is high in entertainment value, but probably pretty low in actual legal moxy.
Look, I’m a Republican and I think he’s full of _ _ _ _. But that same _ _ _ _ raises lots of money for his future campaigns from others who like to believe his _ _ _ _.
I can tell he’s running for office too. And he may think he is championing Republican values but he is going to look a lot like George Wallace at the schoolhouse door in a few short years.
I am with Jimmy James with regard to public servants. If your job is to help navigate the marriage process, it is your job.
However, i have no problem with a private business saying your wedding or reception isn’t going to be held here, not taking your pics, and not baking your cake.