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With Maine’s marriage equality law taking effect on Saturday, Dec. 29, Carroll Conley and Bob Emrich of the anti-gay Christian Civic League of Maine are pressing town clerks to shirk their duties by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
“We want you to know that as the leaders in the Christian Civic League it’s our responsibility to provoke you to consider what is that in your hand. What is that in your hand? Maybe the Lord’s calling you to consider maybe not just retiring, not just quitting but maybe to be that one or those that stand up,” Conley stated in the recent “Help for Clerks and Notaries” episode of CCLM’s Faith Matters in Maine radio show.
“Provoke” is one way to put it. “Religious emotional blackmail” might be more accurate. Conley and Emrich really lay it on thick:
Emrich: “When you consider this as a Christian, from a Christian perspective, if there’s any way that we are participating in a same-sex marriage kind of scenario, it’s hard for me to understand how we could possibly go along with it no matter what the law may say. The Bible is very clear in the book of Ephesians. It tells us not to participate in the works of darkness but rather reprove them. It just seems that we have little choice here, if any. My conscience will not allow me to participate, will not allow me to do anything that would give approval or treat that as if it was right. [snip]
“I’m mindful of Peter and John in Acts, chapter 4. They were very respectful to the authorities, but they were very clear. They said, do what you have to do, we’re willing to accept the penalty, but as for us, we must obey God rather than man. And when there is a conflict between what the laws of man — in this case the laws of the state of Maine — require of someone, and what God requires of them, there cannot be any question. There can’t be any indecision about that. Christians must decide where does our loyalty lie, where is our priority. [snip]
Conley: “This is one area, Bob, you know really in many ways may be our coliseum of our day. [snip]
Emrich: “I don’t think that obeying a law that asks you or forces you to violate your conscience before God, I don’t think that we’re obligated to follow that law. …The law did not provide Peter and John another option and it doesn’t for us. I think obedience to God, obedience to his word has to be first, and that’s what I would advise someone. [snip]
Emrich: “My concern is that we as believers need to understand that we are first citizens of Heaven, and then secondly we’re citizens of this country and of this state. But we’re first citizens of Heaven, and we have to act that way first. So that needs to be our priority. …Well now we’re in a place in our society where many more people are going to be tested with that, that we have to make that decision whatever the consequences. And I think that’s the key. Are you willing to accept the consequences? If a person acts within their conscience, if a person is seeking to be obedient and they sincerely believe they’re being obedient to God — and by the way, that’s got to be the basis. It’s not because you dislike homosexuals or homosexuality. It’s not a matter of like or dislike, so it’s not discrimination in that sense. It is simply saying, no, God does not allow me to participate, therefore I will not. But I have to be willing to accept any possible consequences.
Despite repeating disclaimers like “We’re not playing lawyers here on the radio…We’re not trying to offer some kind of legal advice” to divest themselves of any legal responsibility, Conley and Emrich push Maine’s town clerks to take advice from the anti-gay legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom.
“Now we aren’t lawyers, but lawyers have given their opinions on this,” said Conley. “And so the Alliance Defending Freedom, of course our legal national resource, sent out a memo last month. And we are going to be sending that to clerks…telling them that the Alliance Defending Freedom believes and interprets the law saying that if a town can deputize or authorize assistant clerks to handle the situation.”
Though Conley concedes that “the Maine Municipal Association…[doesn't] believe that someone can do that,” he goes on to assure listeners that he and Emrich “have a great amount of confidence in Alliance Defending Freedom. They’ve taken cases all the way to the Supreme Court. This is not some fly-by-night organization. We have a great amount of confidence in them.”
While listening to the broadcast, I was struck by all the “we” statements Emrich and Conley made while laying out the “true Christian” guilt trip. Does this mean that these two brave men will walk into the metaphorical lion’s den with dissenting town clerks and “accept the consequences” along with them? Not hardly. When the rubber meets the road, “we” suddenly becomes “you”:
“I know we [Christian Civil League of Maine] are prepared to do everything we can to help anyone ease the consequences, to deal with the consequences, to help them find appropriate, good, solid legal counsel, legal help,” said Emrich. “We will do that for people for sure. But in the end it has to be their decision and their willingness. What if they go to court and lose?”
“We want you to know that you can call us any time,” Conley stated bluntly. “Reach out and leave a message if it’s even after hours at the Christian Civic League. We would be happy to put you in touch with the legal resource because this can be a real landmine. And there could be really difficult consequences.”
“God may be calling you to be the example for others,” concluded Emrich. Easy to say when it’s not your job, health insurance and pension on the line.
24 Comments
They already feel persecuted, so there is really no harm in sending real lions after them
You know, I might have some iota of concern about these noble “Christian” clerks if they had ever objected to any of the heretics, blasphemers, fornicators and adulterers they’ve been serving, apparently without incident, for their entire careers. But to arbitrarily draw the line at homosexuals – so it’s fine for them to issue licenses to some hetero guy with monogamy issues who’s on his 5th or 6th wedding, but not TEH GAYZ – sorry, that just doesn’t fly.
It’s their job. They can always quit.
I’d be willing to be that these “good” “Christians” don’t think that issuing gun permits would be against anyone’s morals either.
When you take money in exchange for work, then you need to do the job.
If you don’t believe in same sex marriage then don’t apply for or accept the job as town/city clerk.
Beat me to it. It’s like a pharmacist who refuses to dispense a legally prescribed medication. You can either get out of your ivory tower and do 100% of your job or you can remain in it and resign. At my job, we print a whole lot of material for churches. Though my work is mostly business related, there is some pretty offensive church related stuff I have to produce. And though some of it makes me throw up a little in my mouth, I always do the very best job I can at it. This is because I am enough of a professional to do the job I’m paid to do, regardless of how I feel personally about it. My boss would and should fire me for refusing to do it too. Don’t want to dispense emergency contraception or birth control? Don’t be a pharmacist. Don’t want to issue same sex marriage licenses? Resign as town clerk, JP or whatever. I don’t have the freedom to do only a percentage of my job, nor should you.
Religious people don’t bother me but pious people bother me a lot. What’s next – they will only sell nightgowns that cover from neck to feet and no black undies – only white and in cotton, of course.
I just spoke with God and She said same-sex was cool with Her. Yes, She said That. She said it was okay to quote Her. She also said to check out Carroll and Bob — they live at the same address and . . .you know.
She went on:
–By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)
–Let brotherly love continue.(Hebrews 13:1)
–Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.(Philippians 2:2)
Comrade Lenin piss on these cheap Gawd barkers.
And presumably the town clerks are also supposed to deny divorcees licenses to try again??
“Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, render unto God what is God’s.”
The ultimate separation of church and state statement by Jesus Christ.
It is obvious that some “Christian” practitioners just don’t get it. For instance, Jesus also said, “God is a Spirit, and to worship God, one must worship God in Spirit and in Truth.” Atheists won’t believe this at all since to them God and Spirit don’t exist, but to so-called Christians, who do presumably believe in both God and Spirit, then taking the first quote above and marrying it to this quote about God being a Spirit must mean that rendering unto God what is God’s involves only Spirit, and Spirit is NOT the body. (Spirit is eternal, while the body has a beginning and an end). When viewed in this Light, it becomes apparent that Jesus’ crucifixion involved the latter (his body had a beginning and an end), while the report of his Resurrection involved the former (Spirit and Truth, eternal, beyond the death of the flesh). This was the ultimate lesson that Jesus sought to teach, that Spirit, and the Truth of Spirit (the Resurrection), can never be constrained or limited to the Body of Lies (neither death by crucifixion nor anything else involving the body). And Jesus equated this to all of us: “Our Father who art in heaven,…,” “as you treat the least of these my brothers you treat me,” “love thy neighbor as thyself,” and on and on and on…which is why Jesus’ teachings conflicted with and contradicted so much of the Old Testament, which is why his own religious elders were so incensed they accused him of blasphemy and heresy, of doing the work of the devil, and sought to silence him, any way possible. And certain of today’s “Christians” no more get what Jesus was teaching than the arch-conservative religious elders of his own day did. Certain of today’s “Christians” prefer crucifying to Resurrecting, hating to loving, judging and condemning to forgiving and accepting, war and divisiveness to peace and Oneness in the Spirit and the Truth.
Religion is a Latin word meaning “bind to the past.” Jesus chose to NOT be bound to “the past,” especially to his birth religion’s Old Testament (and all the accounts of wars, and vengeance, and condemnation, and hate, and censorship, and righteous killings). Furthermore, he chose NOT to be bound to the Body of Lies, choosing Spirit and Truth instead (i.e., God). Some religious folks back then responded predictably, getting mighty upset, outraged at Jesus questioning their “conservative traditions.” Certain of today’s “Christians” would no doubt respond the same way, getting upset, outraged at anyone daring to question their “conservative traditions.” And atheists, well, they believe this is all hogwash, but often their response is the same, getting upset, because you see, to them the body is everything, their beginning and end is all there is, while the Spirit (their own Spirit, God being Spirit) is an illusion, non-existent, a lie. I choose to believe Jesus. Being bound to the past, religious or atheist, looks like a “dead-end” to me. The Resurrection was, and still is, real. Peace.
The U.S. has become a perverted, immoral nation in a steady state of decay. To implement laws which are contrary to the Divine Laws given us by One, will be a direct conviction to anyone adhering to false balances. To negate the true principles, as set forth by Elohim, and institute the branch of sin to be grafted into the root will destroy this earth. Drunkenness has gained support, as to be established in a position which is considered commonplace. This state of erosion is no longer progressive, but has gained momentum, in which the government has intertwined into fidelity; by newly enacted laws, as that being true. However, no such honor shall be found upon implementing false principles upon the foundation of truth set forth by One. To supplant deceitfulness, and to define an illusion as being true, is merely providing the appearance of false traits.
A consistent way of trying to bring about change, by implementing artificial deception, to be construed as genuine, is contrary to the Laws of Elohim. To deny, or to negate any laws, based upon the Divine Foundation, or to add to the Divine Law, shall serve as the stone which returned upon us. There shall surely be more severe judgments destined for any tribe, or nation, overturning the tables of truth.
Cough.
אלוהים מגיע כאשר אתה לפחות מצפה.
That was what came into my head aa well.
Not only is it a separation of church and state statement, it is a civil obedience directive.
I can recall stories in the New Testament about Jesus violating Jewish religious law when violating it served a higher good, but I cannot recall a story in the New Testament about Jesus violating secular law.
Town clerks have been fired for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same gender couples. I have no problem with that. In fact, they should resign immediately. For example, I doubt an Orthodox Jew would ever take a job slopping pigs.
The Bible never says that a Christian can’t hand a gay couple a marriage license. It doesn’t say believers have a religious duty to persecute gays, either. That is all made up crap.
People who have that big a problem with same gender marriage should not marry a person of their own gender. Beyond that, they need to sit down and shut up.
Kindly cite the a Biblical verse that that requires any Christian to bash gays, shun gays, persecute gays or refuse to hand a gay couple a marriage license when it is their job to do so.
If you can’t–and I know you can’t–please stop babbling. You’re embarrassing yourself. And this board.
אלוהים הוא ממזר אכזרי.
Excellent point.
The bible contemplates marriage that is forever. Jesus was asked who would be the husband in heaven of a widow who had remarried while alive. (He never said a word against gay couples.)
Haven’t you heard about all the Christian and Jewish officials who have refused to have anything to do with divorce?
Neither have I.
. . . he and Emrich “have a great amount of confidence in Alliance Defending Freedom. They’ve taken cases all the way to the Supreme Court. This is not some fly-by-night organization. We have a great amount of confidence in them.”
Has the ADF ever won one of those cases? Under any name?
The level of ignorance of these christianist clowns is appalling. But again, anyone who believes in a non-existent supernatural being will belive anything. They make it up as they go along, appropriate of nothing. Their ignorance puts their non-existent being against our country, and it’s time it stops. They are fools.
“Citizens of heaven”? Oh, please.
I don’t get upset. I just realize that there isn’t any common ground for discussion and go my own way. I think you can in many respects live like a Christian, because it’s the right thing to do, without actually being one.
There’s nothing particularly exclusive about the basic tenets of Christianity — love thy neighbor, do unto others, etc., etc., are concepts you’ll find in almost any religion (although most of them don’t adhere to this master/slave relationship between god and believer). They’re also the basic components of sociality, and we are, after all, social animals.
I’m also bemused by the atheists who have to proclaim loudly and repeatedly about “sky fairies” and “it’s all hogwash” — maybe you’re not so sure of yourselves? After all, the real issue here is not what people believe — that’s their business — but their attempts to impose those beliefs on the rest of us. That’s what offends me. (Hmm — maybe someone should sue those clerks for religious discrimination.)