Getting Real about Kim Davis
But she’s been married four times!
FALLACY WARNING: If you’ve caught yourself posting about Kim Davis’ multiple marriages you are engaging in non-argument. You’re committing a fallacy so old and classic that I’m forced to type the next words in Latin. “Tu quoque.”
We’ve all tried this on our parents in their weaker moments. Pick a vice. “But, dad! You smoked when you were 13!” Now, these details may be interesting, but after a few deep breaths, even a seven year old can come to understand that this is not an argument.
So, what are we to make of the case of Kim Davis? And what am I brave enough to post on Facebook? After all, we don’t really hold opinions or argue any more, we just ‘like’ things on Facebook.
While you sit there staring at your cell phone, you’ve got Kimberly Davis sitting in the Carter County Jail for holding to a traditional view of marriage. Also consider, she has been ordered to jail indefinitely by a judge without a trial — not for violating a law (Site the law?). The same position that Sec. Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama espoused in 2012 (Hillary until 2013).
But we have progressed and she needs to #DoYourJob or whatever. Okay, I’ll address that. I invite our progressive readers to scroll down. The rest of this will run like a hodgepodge choose your own adventure rant. Just look down for your comfortable political or religious label, read the other sections for amusement.
Christians/Religious (and what to do about tension)
I use “Christians,” here in reference to those who actually believe in the Bible–not just the cherry-picked parts, but also the supernatural parts. You can likely adapt this for Muslims, Jews, and other Religions. Agree or not with her take on doctrine, Kim Davis is holding to a boring historical definition of marriage which transcends religion. Again, the same position that our president held until a few years ago. She’s just a Christian, so she believes in eternal consequences. You may disagree with her take on things, but you can’t deny that she is doing what those pesky Christians do. When tensions arise between two forces, she makes an effort to err on the side of God. Think of Paul writing in Romans how he would be willing, if it were possible, to damn his own soul if he could bring more of his friends to eternal salvation.
“For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren…” – Romans 9:3
Paul has eyes with eternal vision and that’s pretty much what faith is. A great picture of this eternal vision is found in The Pilgrims Progress (1678) by John Bunyan. It’s an allegorical story that depicts a man, Christian, on his journey through life struggling to reach The Eternal City.
So I saw in my Dream that the Man began to run.
Now he had not run far from his own door, but his Wife and Children,
perceiving it, began to cry after him to return; but the Man out his fingers
in his ears, and ran on, crying Life! Life! Eternal Life! So he looked not
behind him, but fled towards the middle of the Plain.
It’s a great depiction of that crazy thing Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) But wait a minute! The Bible also says to honor your father and mother. It’s the fourth or fifth commandment (depending on how you count), right?
Feel the tension? Jesus clarifies it for us rather bluntly, didn’t he? If your parents conflict with God. Side with God.
At this point, I wish scripture went on to say, “If anyone comes to me and uses Romans 13 as an appeal to blind obedience to the state, his argument is invalid and he is in danger of eternal flames.”
Alas, I’m not going to claim that, but I hope the point is clear. Context and tension. Agree with Kim Davis or not, she is attempting to follow scripture and she follows in a long line of biblical heroes who have refused to give in to governing authorities; Esther, Daniel, John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul and on and on.
EXTRA: And when you hear someone ask, “Then why isn’t she slaughtering rams and stoning prostitutes according to Old Testament Laws?” You’re likely interacting with someone who has no interest in this actual case, but simply wants to attack Christian faith.
Conservatives and Libertarians
Okay, limited government folks: Kim Davis is in jail for not doing something. She’s kinda in jail for shrinking the size of government. The bureaucracy got tangibly smaller in her county, right? She wasn’t issuing any marriage licenses at all because of the demand that she put her own signature on same-sex licenses. Granted, conservatives have a terrible record for actually shrinking government, but libertarians, theoretically (the lucky ones sitting in a think-tank or their parents’ basement–that’s mostly a joke!), want to take a really big ax–or maybe a hydrogen bomb–to the size and scope of government, right?
All of this is put much more concisely and bluntly over at a blog appropriately called The Lesser Magistrate:
Yesterday (Last week) a federal judge imprisoned Kim Davis. The judge declared that she must uphold the law. We respond by saying: What law? There is not a single law in the whole state of Kentucky that requires any public official to accommodate homosexual marriage. In fact, every law in the entire state requires that they NOT accommodate homosexual marriage.
Furthermore, there is not a single federal law within all the thousands of plethora of federal laws that requires Kentucky officials to marry homosexuals.
The truth is Kim Davis is upholding the law. She is trying to rein in the lawlessness of the federal judiciary. The Supreme Court is the anarchist here – Kim Davis is trying to restore order.
Progressives
For the few progressives out there who aren’t simply interested in making fun of Kim Davis’ hair, a few thoughts and some further reading.
What could be more progressive than Madonna’s (homosexual) brother?
The county clerk in [Kentucky] deserves about as much support as you would give her if she were a Muslim [woman] who insisted on covering her face and refused not only gay marriages licenses, but divorce, accusations of rape and driving a car without your man’s approval,” he wrote.
Ciccone acknowledged that Davis is required to follow federal law before he added: “But why should she when DOJ and other civil authorities don’t follow federal law when they choose not to, i.e. Washington State and Colorado (POT) come to mind…or the abstract notion of ‘sanctuary cities.’ I always thought that sanctuary was the province of churches. – Hollywood Reporter
And this is good for anyone to read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/09/04/when-does-your-religion-legally-excuse-you-from-doing-part-of-your-job/
Developing… (Check back for updates)