"Thou Shalt Not Defy The Court"

It is no secret that the impact of Christianity in America has seen an obvious decline in recent decades. The moral foundations and biblical principles that once held great sway and acted as the glue that held the culture together have fallen on hard times. Sometimes the faith itself is being ignored and at other times is under direct attack.

Some of these recent shifts are easily seen in what has now become morally acceptable. The legalization of gay marriage is the most recent example of something becoming the new norm in the land even though it would have been viewed as almost science fiction even a generation or so ago.

How many would ever have foreseen what happened to Kim Davis in Rowan County, Kentucky after the county clerk refused to put her stamp of approval on gay marriages? Who would have ever dreamed that a committed Christian public servant would be literally jailed for holding fast to her biblical convictions on a moral issue?  Davis stated to district judge David Bunning, "God's moral law conflicts with my job duties. You can't be separated from something that's in your heart and in your soul." The judge said, "Her good faith belief is simply not a viable defense, and nothing can allow an individual's beliefs to supersede the court's authority since that would set a dangerous precedent."

News of her imprisonment rocketed around the world, igniting a furious debate over religious freedom and the place of God in government. Davis’ lawyer stated that he  was "stunned" by the judge's ruling and said, "Knowing Kim Davis and her strong Christian resolve and convictions, she may be jailed behind bars, but her conscience remains free. She loves her Lord, she loves God, and she can't disobey her conscience or be disobedient."

In an interview, former Arkansas governor and current presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee compared Kim Davis' refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples to conscientious objections to slavery. He cited the landmark Dred Scott Supreme Court decision asking, "Is slavery the law of the land? Should it have been the law of the land because Dred Scott said so? Was that a correct decision? Should Lincoln have been put in jail because he ignored it?" Obviously not! He is an American hero and legend for his actions! Huckabee also reminded people that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom performed same-sex weddings even though it was then illegal and was not thrown in jail. So why Davis on a much smaller scale? Maybe some religious bias?

The former governor also protested Davis’ lack of opportunity for bail and said that even Jeffrey Dahmer and the Boston Stranger received it. And as far as the high court itself, he said, “We have a check and balance system and three equal branches, and what we've seen here is the overreach of the judicial. This, if allowed to stand without any congressional involvement, it is what Thomas Jefferson warned us about - judicial tyranny.”

Huckabee then joined  protesters this past Tuesday at rally outside the jail where the Kentucky clerk was locked in a cell. During the day, Davis was suddenly released by the same  judge who had sent her there. Some second thoughts and a bit of pressure maybe? But he also warned her to stay clear from the issue, directly or indirectly, or face jail time again.

It is becoming more and more clear that being a Christian, and one who takes any outspoken stand against the increasing non-biblical trends in the culture, is the one of the most serious crimes that one can be charged with. Christians in growing contexts are literally becoming seen as common criminals whenever they seek to obey God rather than man. And those who hold strong biblical views on  controversial social  issues best be aware of the potential consequences if they ever dare to defy popular opinion or even the will of the nation’s high court.

America is standing, and has been for a time now, on very fragile moral ground and shifting cultural quicksand. Without serious prayer, loving but committed believers, and a sweeping revival, what just happened to a Kim Davis is likely to be just the beginning and the proverbial tip of the moral iceberg.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”  (Proverbs 14:34)

Bill Breckenridge