Pope Francis and Kim Davis

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I recently did a post entitled, "Why Kim Davis is Wrong."  In my post, I stated that as a Christian, I absolutely agreed with Kim Davis in her refusal as Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk of Courts to sign marriage licenses for same sex marriage.  However, as exemplified by St. Thomas More, I contended that she needed to resign her governmental position.  Just as St. Thomas More resigned because he was not morally able to fulfill his duties as chancellor of England because he could not support the immoral actions of Kings Henry VIII, so Kim Davis should resign because of her moral inability to fulfill her duties as Clerk of Courts.

It would now seem that Pope Francis has weighed in on this matter, and many have interpreted his words and alleged actions as full support of Kim Davis.  In an interview on the plane returning from Philadelphia to Rome, Terry Moran of ABC News asked Pope Francis:

Holy Father, do you also support those individuals, including government officials, who say they cannot in good conscience, their own personal conscience, abide by some laws or discharge their duties as government officials, for example in issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples? Do you support those kinds of claims of religious liberty?

Why Kim Davis Is Wrong

Kim Davis

Many Christians who are opposed to the legalization of same sex marriage are looking to Kim Davis - the Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk who refused to give marriage licenses to same sex couples - as a cultural hero. She is now in jail for refusing to comply with the law.

County Clerk is a civil servant job, and as such, anyone employed as a County Clerk is required to comply with the law. Kim Davis does not have the right in her capacity as a civil servant to decide which laws to enforce and which laws she can ignore. If Kim Davis is allowed to disobey the law, then anyone who decides a law is unjust - e.g., anti-drug laws - will be free to ignore any law he or she doesn't like. The result will be complete chaos and anarchy in our country.

If Kim Davis feels it is wrong to give marriage licenses to same sex couples, then she needs to resign from a job that requires her to do so. She is not free to ignore a valid - albeit immoral - law. St. Thomas More set the precedent for us, and we need to follow his example.