While parts of Southwest Virginia are culturally like something out of the old Burt Reynolds movie, Deliverance, surprisingly there has been no flurry of resignations by court officials over same sex marriage now being legal in Virginia. South of the border in North Carolina it's another story. Six magistrate judges have resigned rather than - oh, the horror - marry same sex couples. In doing so, they have naturally cite their "religious beliefs" and in their comments about the Bible display their utter ignorance and, I would argue, demonstrate that they are too ignorant to hold any court position. Meanwhile, they are held up as martyrs by the professional Christian crowd which needs martyrs to continue their flim flam operations asking the ignorant and gullible for money. Here are examples from the Christian Examiner:
Six North Carolina magistrates—a judicial officer of the District Court who handles certain criminal and civil matters—have resigned rather than violate their Christian convictions by performing same-sex marriage ceremonies.
About 670 magistrates serve in North Carolina, and by resigning the six give up a comfortable income, as well as standing in the community.
"I believe marriage was ordained by God to be between a man and a woman," said Gayle Myrick, magistrate in Union County, N.C. told the Christian Examiner. "For me to do what the state said I had to do, under penalty of law, I would have to go against my convictions, and I was not willing to do that. I want to honor what the Word says."
In addition to Myrick, the magistrates who resigned because of their Christian convictions are Gilbert Breedlove of Swain County; Bill Stevenson of Gaston County; Tommy Holland of Graham County; Jeff Powell of Jackson County; and John Kallam Jr. of Rockingham County.
Regarding next steps, all six say they are waiting on God to provide direction.
"We've rejected the prime authority of the scriptures, something our Nation's Founding Fathers, such as John Adams, knew better than to do. ... In both the Old and New Testaments, homosexuality is something the Lord does not approve of, and since He doesn't, I could not put the sanction of the state on a relationship that runs afoul of scripture."
Each of the six wanted it known they had no animosity, no ill will, toward people who live in a homosexual lifestyle. "I'm just standing in faith to declare this is what the Lord has said. If they object, that's fine; it's between them and God," Breedlove told the Christian Examiner.
How do you not hold animosity against gays if you want to keep them inferior under the civil laws? These statements are, pardon my French, bullshit. I'd also note that if one truly bothered to study the Bible, it quickly becomes clear that POLGAMY - not one man and one women - is the biblical form of marriage. But that, of course would require effort and discernment - something terrifying to conservative Christians. It would also require and acknowledgment that Adam and Eve never existed as historical persons. The ignorance of these magistrate judges also includes misrepresenting the views of the Founding Fathers who held deep suspicion of religion mixing with politics and the civil laws. Hence what Jefferson called the fall of separation between church and state. North Carolina is a better place with these individuals out of the judicial system.
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