To the Editor:

In Rowan County, Kentucky, Kim Davis has been ordered to jail for contempt of court.  Her confinement is based on the fact that on more than one occasion she refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

“What tangled webs we weave…” is part of a famous line written by Walter Scott in his poem “Marmion.” Kim Davis may actually feel like she is caught in a tight web comprised from alternating strands of faith and the need to earn income by carrying out the legal duties she took a solemn oath to perform. The popular singer/songwriter Jackson Browne expressed a similar view in his song “The Pretender.” He sang, “Caught between the longing for love and the struggle for the legal tender…. ” I suppose most poor and middle-income people know what Browne means by those lines.

As we look at the Kim Davis situation it is necessary to remember one historical fact. Most oaths of office in America are administered with one hand on a Bible. What religious denomination is espoused in these Bibles? Are they Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Seventh Day Adventist or Catholic? Are they a “conservative” or “liberal version” of the text? 

I suppose the person taking an oath of office merely imagines the words are those by which he/she chooses to live. Could we, then, just as well use the Torah or the Koran if we simply swear the oath with one hand held on the book? After all, we have never, to my knowledge, asked an elected official to uphold the teachings within the Bible. What the ceremony asks is something like, “Do you swear to uphold the laws of the United States?”

If we are a “Christian nation,” as some contend we are, wouldn’t the oath require that the person vow to uphold the teachings of a Christian Bible? That has never happened. Let’s hope it never does. There has been way, way too much bloodshed over religion in human history. Too many times an individual or group has tried to force someone else to adhere to a particular set of beliefs against their own wishes and will. The evening news is full of stories of people being killed or exiled because of a religious belief. Our United States government has been set up to prevent that kind of maltreatment based on religion.

With that said, I don’t know how the Davis/Rowan County situation will be resolved. She is in the spotlight with her situation and may have to decide which way she wants to go — with her strong religious conviction or with her need to earn an income by fulfilling her duties. It may not be possible for her to have both in the capacity she is sworn to at the present time. 

If it turns out that she is allowed to hold her religious principle above legal principles, we may be headed toward “Burger King” government. Government employees would be told happily, “Have it your way.” Under that system each employee would get to choose the parts that he/she will be willing to abide by while ignoring those undesirable to him/her. It seems like things could get somewhat confusing under this setup. 

I personally hope and pray (to the God of my choice) that America remains a nation of laws rather than one ruled by religious dogma that results in continual fighting and killing of people with differing views. Our legal foundation, which inarguably contains ideas from various religions and philosophies, has served this country fairly well since 1776. Our challenge is to make it work for another 239 years.

Dave Waldrop

Webster