Washington, D.C. – Kim Davis, an elected Kentucky county clerk was released from jail this afternoon after spending six days behind bars on a contempt of court charge. Davis was jailed after refusing to issue marriage licenses in response to the SCOTUS’ ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges because it violates her deeply-held religious beliefs. Concerned Women for America CEO and President, Penny Nance had this to say:
“While we rejoice with the release of Kim Davis, this issue is about so much more than a clerk refusing to issue marriage licenses-rather it is a prime example of how Christians are actively being pushed out of public office and their voices silenced. Our Nation was founded on religious freedom, but religious freedom does not mean others should be forced to participate in other’s choices at the expense of their conscience. Religious freedom was at the center of our nation’s founding and remains an essential part of what makes us strong.
“Religious accommodations are made for pro-life doctors and pharmacists who choose to not perform abortions or prescribe birth control, reasonable accommodations are made for Muslim women who go through airport security, and until recently a Texas judge who refused to issue traditional marriage licenses. It is baffling to think that no such accommodation exists in this case.
“Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, government must employ the least restrictive means for achieving a compelling state interest. Least restrictive means should mean that the County finds an alternative so that homosexuals can get married while protecting the rights of Mrs. Davis. Running someone out of their job due to deeply held religious beliefs is a violation of their civil rights. We all should be worried when we see that happen.
“The same group of people who are condemning Mrs. Davis now, who were chanting outside her office for her to “do her job,” were applauding public officials who violated the law and issued homosexual marriage certificates before the Court issued its ruling on Obergefell. The concern does not lie with the rule of law or justice, but rather with promoting an agenda.”
Patrina Mosley, Young Women for America Coordinator, was in Kentucky at the time of Kim Davis’ release. She had this to add:
“Our more than half-a-million members stand with Kim Davis, and the First Amendment stands with Kim Davis. Even though Judge Bunning says Mrs. Davis’ ‘good faith belief is simply not a viable defense,’ the Constitution begs to differ. It is simple:
‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…’
“So as you can see, the First Amendment protects, not just religious beliefs, but the exercise of those beliefs. That clearly implies movement and action–it is the living out of our faiths that the Constitution protects. Precisely what Kim Davis is doing in this instance!
“But Judge Bunning and the ACLU want all Christians out of government unless they are willing to betray their beliefs. We must choose between God and man. And the answer is pretty simple for us. There is no choice in that really. There is no freedom.
“Just like judges and government force were use to spread and sustain the violation of civil rights for minorities in the past, so too now we see the power of the state used to violate Kim Davis’s civil rights, and in doing so, they violate all our civil rights. They want to make an example of Mrs. Davis, to send a signal to the rest of us. We must be quiet or we too will suffer much.
“Notice Judge Bunning could have only fined Mrs. Davis. Any reasonable observer can see that that would have been more appropriate in this case, given the fact that she poses no threat to anyone. But that would not have accomplished their goal: to show you what will happen to you if you dare not renounce the true meaning of Constitution and your faith.
“So, to his shame, Judge Bunning sent her to jail, saying, ‘The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order.’ He said Davis would be released only when she agreed to follow his order and issue marriage licenses. Once again the false choice was before Mrs. Davis: God or man?
“This ‘astroturf’ choice shows a deep misunderstanding of faith. Faith led Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to write from his jail cell in Birmingham that:
‘One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.’
“Kim Davis and we all stand on solid ground, following his example today. We choose justice. We choose freedom. We choose God.”
For additional information, contact Jaime Ballew at (540) 849-0107 or jballew@cwfa.org, or Janae Stracke at (712) 269-1724 or jstracke@cwfa.org.
Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the legislative arm of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with 500,000 participating members across the country, over 450 Prayer/Action Chapters and Home Teams, 600 trained leaders, and over 30 years of service to our nation. For more information visitwww.concernedwomen.org
###