Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs law that allows people to refuse to ‘solemnize’ marriage licenses

[essentialsaltes]

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs law that allows people to refuse to ‘solemnize’ marriage licenses​

Last week, Tennessee state lawmakers passed HB 878, which states “a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage.”

[When this comes to government employees, there's a definite problem.]

“Tennessee House Bill 878 would be patently unconstitutional,” Taylor said in a statement to CNN. “Public officials don’t get to assume public office and then pick and choose which members of the public to serve.”

“My answer remains the same regardless of whether this bill was intended to target marriages of same-sex couples, interfaith couples, or interracial couples — it’s unconstitutional because the Constitution prohibits public officials from discriminating against members of the public based on their personal beliefs,” Taylor said.

 

[Vambram]

Camilla Taylor is the deputy legal director of Lamda Legal an LGBTQ advocacy group. Of course she would find fault with allowing public officials to practice their sincere religious beliefs concerning same sex marriage.

 

[BCP1928]

Camilla Taylor is the deputy legal director of Lamda Legal an LGBTQ advocacy group. Of course she would find fault with allowing public officials to practice their sincere religious beliefs concerning same sex marriage.

What sincere religious belief prevents a government official from issuing legal civil marriage certificates? No, I'm not preparing to argue with you about it, I just want to know the answer.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Of course she would find fault with allowing public officials to practice their sincere religious beliefs concerning same sex marriage.

Public officials do not perform religious marriages. They perform civil ones.

of, relating to, or involving the general public, their activities, needs, or ways, or civic affairs as distinguished from special (such as military or religious) affairs
"got married in a civil ceremony"

 

[JustOneWay]

This is the goal. Put the gay Americans back in the closet.

 

[Vambram]

This is why I will never work in a government job that would require me to certify something that I sincerely believe is immoral.

 

[RileyG]

This is why I will never work in a government job that would require me to certify something that I sincerely believe is immoral.

I agree 100%

 

[RileyG]

Camilla Taylor is the deputy legal director of Lamda Legal an LGBTQ advocacy group. Of course she would find fault with allowing public officials to practice their sincere religious beliefs concerning same sex marriage.

I personally think they should resign from their job rather than violate their conscience.

 

[A2SG]

I personally think they should resign from their job rather than violate their conscience.

I would definitely agree. If they can't do the job they're being paid to do...find one they can.

-- A2SG, if they're so determined to force their religious views on others, they should find a job that lets them do that, legally.....

 

[7thKeeper]

This is why I will never work in a government job that would require me to certify something that I sincerely believe is immoral.

Phrasing. This sounds like you'd be willing to work a private job that would require you to certify something that you believe is immoral.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

This is why I will never work in a government job that would require me to certify something that I sincerely believe is immoral.

I personally think they should resign from their job rather than violate their conscience.

This is the proper way to handle such a situation - the government exists to serve everyone according to the law. If you are unable to do so, you should not take the job. Codifying the ability to deny service on an individual basis because of your own beliefs violates the purpose of government - a person should not have to wonder whether or not they will be able to get the services they need based on the clerk who takes their case.

 

[durangodawood]

Camilla Taylor is the deputy legal director of Lamda Legal an LGBTQ advocacy group. Of course she would find fault with allowing public officials to practice their sincere religious beliefs concerning same sex marriage.

That sheds no light on whether her view is right or wrong in principle.

 

[BCP1928]

What sincere religious belief prevents a government official from issuing legal civil marriage certificates? No, I'm not preparing to argue with you about it, I just want to know the answer.

Every time the subject of SSM comes up, I or someone else will ask this question. We never get an answer. At this point I have to think that the religious excuse is a fake.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Every time the subject of SSM comes up, I or someone else will ask this question. We never get an answer. At this point I have to think that the religious excuse is a fake.

The answer is that certain subsets of Christians don't see any distinction between civil marriage and religious marriage - they believe that the Church has exclusive ownership of the concept of "marriage."

 

[BCP1928]

The answer is that certain subsets of Christians don't see any distinction between civil marriage and religious marriage - they believe that the Church has exclusive ownership of the concept of "marriage."

And that's the point. You and I can speculate or examine the contents of our own faiths to see if anything suggests itself but that is just our best guess about the answer must be. Traditional Christians generally have an answer for questions like that. The Catholics claim that there is no marriage but their own* and so they won't marry gays but they won't marry divorced persons, either, and what we call civil marriage is not a marriage at all to them, etc. in other words they have a well worked out theological framework, whether you agree with it or not. The Christian Right seems to have no answer at all. The Greek Parliament just voted to authorize SSMs. The Orthodox Church, a substantial number of Greek citizens and even many of the legislators who voted for it are opposed to gay marriage for religious reasons, but they could not find a religious reason to to forbid civil marriages for non-Christian citizens of a secular state. The Christian Right claims to have a religious reason but they won't tell us what it is. They should have sold a secret copy to the Greeks


*I realize that the position has softened over the years, but the theology of it is still there.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

And that's the point. You and I can speculate or examine the contents of our own faiths to see if anything suggests itself but that is just our best guess about the answer must be.

That is what I have been told by people who oppose the issuance of civil marriage certificates to certain groups. There may be other reasons for other people, but it's not pure speculation on my part.

 

[BCP1928]

That is what I have been told by people who oppose the issuance of civil marriage certificates to certain groups. There may be other reasons for other people, but it's not pure speculation on my part.

But still, we never get an answer here.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

But still, we never get an answer here.

Here is where I've been told the reason I provided above.

 

[DaisyDay]

Every time the subject of SSM comes up, I or someone else will ask this question. We never get an answer. At this point I have to think that the religious excuse is a fake.

The answer I got (don't remember who from) was that since he was a Christian, everything he thought, said or did was enshrined in his personal religious dogma. There was nothing he could do or say that wasn't protected as his religion.

I think that is total self-serving bunk. I hope the pendulum swings back to moderation.

 

[comana]

States that allow self solemnization avoid these issues. Couples don’t need an officiant just there own signatures.