Same sex marriage is increasing at a steady rate, and with this rise comes the inevitable retaliation of religious political officials, namely Kim Davis. Her decision to refuse marriage licenses to same sex couples was unwarranted, as it is not her decision to make. Davis’s decision sparked a massive debate within the U.S., while also revealing that religion still plays a significant role in the underlying function of the U.S. government. Even with Davis’s religious freedoms noted, she is legally obligated to distribute marriage licenses to all who qualify. It is common knowledge that marriages in the U.S. are primarily monogamous unions formed between a male and a female Christian.[1] However, this is not always the case. Some marriages
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It is no secret that religion plays a major role in the mindsets of a large portion of U.S. citizens. In fact, “Prior research demonstrates that religion and gender traditionalism are associated with less favorable attitudes toward same-sex unions because of its deviation from customary religious doctrine and traditional patterns of gender behavior.” (Whitehead, 479)[2]. This means that because the norm in America is gender traditional marriage, same sex marriage is therefore disapproved and unwanted by many U.S. citizens including government official Kim Davis. However, while it is perfectly justified for Kim Davis to vocally disapprove of same sex marriage on religious principle, it is still a requirement of her job to distribute marriage licenses, whether or not her conscience approves. If everyone were allowed to follow their own moral code at work, then social progress and equality would cease to progress. Consider that Kim Davis was replaced by a gay marriage clerk who was given the same duties as Kim Davis. Should this gay marriage clerk be allowed to decline marriage licenses to gender traditional couples simply because the clerk prefers same sex marriage? When looked at from this standpoint it becomes apparent that declining marriage licenses to a certain group should not be left for the clerk to
It is no secret that religion plays a major role in the mindsets of a large portion of U.S. citizens. In fact, “Prior research demonstrates that religion and gender traditionalism are associated with less favorable attitudes toward same-sex unions because of its deviation from customary religious doctrine and traditional patterns of gender behavior.” (Whitehead, 479)[2]. This means that because the norm in America is gender traditional marriage, same sex marriage is therefore disapproved and unwanted by many U.S. citizens including government official Kim Davis. However, while it is perfectly justified for Kim Davis to vocally disapprove of same sex marriage on religious principle, it is still a requirement of her job to distribute marriage licenses, whether or not her conscience approves. If everyone were allowed to follow their own moral code at work, then social progress and equality would cease to progress. Consider that Kim Davis was replaced by a gay marriage clerk who was given the same duties as Kim Davis. Should this gay marriage clerk be allowed to decline marriage licenses to gender traditional couples simply because the clerk prefers same sex marriage? When looked at from this standpoint it becomes apparent that declining marriage licenses to a certain group should not be left for the clerk to