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September 04. 2015 12:01AM Jeffrey Gillespie: Kim Davis, messenger of God You probably saw the story in the press this week regarding Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Ky., clerk who is continuing to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples under the “authority of God.” What might surprise you is that Davis is a registered Democrat; she ran for and won her position at the county (which she has held for 27 years) on a Democratic ticket. While this may come as a shock to many who have already prosecuted her in their minds as a Bible-thumping, Republican redneck, the real impact of her defiance has little to do with earthly politics and much to do with religion, which in 2015 America is less and less separate from the state. The worst-case scenario for Davis in this debacle is that she will be censured, impeached and retired from public employment on a comfortable pension. That is a likely outcome — at the writing of this article, she is due in federal court again to face a charge of contempt — and an acceptable one for anti-theists and constitutionalists who are appalled by her bigotry. While Article VI of the Constitution protects candidates from discrimination by prohibiting any religious test for public office, there is no provision to stop them from operating a bully pulpit once they get the job. Davis may be a Democrat, but she is being supported in her prejudice by a strong Republican legislature, not least of all by the president of the State Senate, who has intervened with the federal court on Davis’ behalf, asking it to give the state body "time to pass a law that would exempt her from having to issue marriage licenses" (the state legislature is not currently in session, and won't be again until January of 2016.) The message here is clear — that states with a predominantly Republican or fundamentalist Christian leadership will be using every tool at their disposal to more clearly draft the language of prejudice into state law. There will be a continued and concerted effort from conservative legislatures to obscure and undermine the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. During the George W. Bush presidency, much noise was made about activist judges, who were accused by the president and his allies of “legislating from the bench” whenever a politically inconvenient decision was handed down. At the same time, President Bush was happy to use government funds to implement and finance “faith-based” initiatives. These projects were a coup for conservatives and religious pundits of all kinds, as federal tax dollars were used to expand and strengthen religious organizations working in social services. President Obama is culpable in continuing to tear down the wall of separation between church and state. He has rebranded and expanded the faith-based office, establishing an advisory council to help administer the billions of taxpayer dollars now flowing through churches and other religious entities to fund projects aimed at the most vulnerable in our society. These projects would almost be admirable, but with many potential religious trade-offs in place, the structure is often seen as more Orwellian than philanthropic. Bush and Obama have long realized that capitulation to religious voters is good politics; it provides them with a handy fig-leaf when they are accused of any action too secular for the tastes of middle America. In taking the decision at an executive level to tear down the wall between church and state, both men have, wittingly or not, sent a message to federal employees that there is plenty of gray area to be leveraged. And while Kim Davis being married four times herself while denying marriage licenses might make her a world-class hypocrite to some, that’s just fine by her. Because no matter what might happen to secularists as a result of her actions on an earthly level, she will remain on ideal terms with God . Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland.     http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150904/OPINION/150909927 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->