Guess Which State Found A Clever Way To AVOID Performing Gay Weddings?
Gay weddings have been a hot button issue lately. Many Christian businesses feel that their values are under attack, and I don’t blame them. If they refuse to participate in a gay wedding, they will be sued and forever branded as “homophobes”. If they agree, they will be forced to go against everything that they believe is right.
How does one get out of a dilemma like that? Out of all states, it was Florida that figured out a loophole. Several counties throughout Florida have decided to no longer allow weddings to be held at their courthouses in order to avoid being required to officiate homosexual ceremonies.
Reports say officials in Duval, Clay and Baker counties have all concluded that they must discontinue utilizing the county courthouse for weddings altogether to protect the rights of conscience for their clerks. Duvall County Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell explained how she felt about the issue,
“I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. Personally it would go against my beliefs to perform a ceremony that is other than that.” The room once used for weddings will now only be used for domestic violence injunctions. “I needed the space, and our county, we’re in the Bible Belt,” she said. “If we’re made by the law to issue a gay marriage license [we will] do that, but we are not mandated to marry couples in our courthouse.”
And she is absolutely right. Last year, U.S District Judge Robert Hinkle, declared Florida’s marriage amendment, which enshrined marriage as being solely between a man and woman, as unconstitutional. On Thursday, the same judge ordered all county clerks within the state to issue same-sex “marriage” licenses. However, since county courthouses are not required to be used for marital ceremonies, they will discontinue the practice altogether to avoid being compelled to officiate homosexual events.
It’s a shame that we have had to come to this, but it is one small way to take a stand for religious beliefs.
I’m sure that once the LGBT community lawyers catch wind of this, they will do everything in their power to change it. But for now, if a gay couple wants to get married in these Florida counties, they will be kicked STRAIGHT out the door.
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