Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Kim Davis and The Making and Keeping of Oaths

 Kim Davis believes that her Christian beliefs trump her day-to-day responsibilities.“My constituents elected me. But the main authority that rules my life is the Lord,” she said.
Narina Koren
The Atlantic 9/22/2015|
Nice thought, but Davis has no problem setting aside her religious beliefs when it comes to honoring her oath of office,   the last four words of which are "So help me God."
Come again?
Here's the oath in its entirety. 
"30A.020 Oath of clerk and deputies. Every clerk and deputy, in addition to the oath prescribed by Section 228 of the Constitution, shall, before entering on the duties of his office, take the following oath in presence of the Circuit Court:
"I, ....., do swear that I will well and truly discharge the duties of the office of .............. County Circuit Court clerk, according to the best of my skill and judgment, making the due entries and records of all orders, judgments, decrees, opinions and proceedings of the court, and carefully filing and preserving in my office all books and papers which come to my possession by virtue of my office; and that I will not knowingly or willingly commit any malfeasance of office, and will faithfully execute the duties of my office without favor, affection or partiality, so help me God." 
The fact that the oath has been administered shall be entered on the record of the Circuit Court. Effective: January 2, 1978 History: Created 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 21, sec. 2, effective January 2, 1978."

Kim Davis is so determined to publicly deny marriage licenses to gays, and lap up all the delicious publicity that follows she seems to have forgotten what the Bible says about the taking and keeping of oaths. Oops!
Deuteronomy 23:21-23 
“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth."
Matthew 5:33-37 
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil."

Numbers 30:2 

"If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth."
Leviticus 19:12 
"You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord."
So, which is worse, giving a gay couple a license to marry? Breaking an oath you made to God? Or making a false oath to God that you have no intention of keeping? Davis can't have it both ways. The Bibe upon which she bases her religious beliefs is absolutely unequivocal about this.She swore to perform the duties of her office "...without favor, affection or partiality" She has not done so.

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