Even though Feb. 9 officially marked the legalization of gay “marriage” in Alabama, some hope the ruling won’t stand after the United States Supreme Court rules on the case once and for all in June.
But Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said at a recent meeting in Orange Beach that the Supreme Court’s denial of a stay to halt the legalization of gay “marriage” in the state “is a signal of what the Court intends to do.” He thinks the Court likely will legalize gay “marriage” nationwide.
“I think we do see the Court moving toward handing down a decision that would place same-sex ‘marriage’ as a 14th Amendment issue,” Moore told state Baptist executive directors and state Baptist paper editors at the meeting.
“The citizens of Alabama are rightly concerned about the non-action action by the United States Supreme Court in refusing to stay same-sex ‘marriages’ in the state. … The same Court that ruled in 2013 that marriage should be a state, not a federal matter, is now imposing a federal definition of marriage on a state.”
Issuance of licenses
In an effort to stop the issuance of gay “marriage” licenses Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore advised probate judges to deny licenses to gay couples and to follow state law in a letter he issued Feb. 8.
The letter stated in part: “Effective immediately, no probate judge of the state of Alabama nor any agent or employee of any Alabama probate judge shall issue or recognize a marriage license that is inconsistent” with a constitutional amendment and a state law banning same-sex unions, Roy Moore wrote.
While commending a biblical view of marriage, Russell Moore said state judges should not disobey federal court orders.
Conviction and respect
“As citizens and as Christians, our response should be one of both conviction and of respect for the rule of law (1 Pet. 2:13; Rom. 13). Our system of government does not allow a state to defy the law of the land,” Russell Moore said.
“In a Christian ethic, there is a time for civil disobedience in cases of unjust laws. That’s why, for instance, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. went to jail. In the case of judges and state Supreme Court justices, though, civil disobedience, even when necessary, cannot happen in their roles as agents of the state. Religious freedom and conscience objections must be balanced with a state’s obligation to discharge the law,” he said.
A judge or other government official who is “faced with a decision of violating his conscience or upholding the law would need to resign and protest against it as a citizen if he could not discharge the duties of his office required by law in good conscience,” Russell Moore said.
Meanwhile in Mobile, a federal judge ordered Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis to start granting marriage licenses to gay couples. Davis had kept the marriage license office closed since Feb. 9, according to The Birmingham News.
But after U.S. District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade heard from lawyers of James Strawser and John Humphrey, who had not been able to get marriage licenses in Mobile, she “laid out specific reasons why the plaintiffs want to get married, including health problems … to have full spousal authority to make medical decisions,” according to the News, and ordered the office to issue licenses.
After Granade’s order, Strawser and Humphrey were “married” Feb. 12.
Davis was one of dozens of probate judges who cited Roy Moore’s administrative order on Feb. 8 to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
At press time information indicated that probate judges in 50 counties would be issuing same-sex “marriage” licenses by Feb. 16. In 10 counties marriage licenses will still be issued to traditional couples while seven counties will not be issuing licenses at all.
In Huntsville volunteer minister Ellin Jimmerson, a member of Weatherly Heights Baptist Church, performed at least one same-sex wedding ceremony the week same-sex “marriage” was legalized, and it was the first in Madison County, sources reported.
Jimmerson is a member of the Madison Baptist Association church but is not on the staff, according to news reports.
In regards to Jimmerson’s actions Pastor David Freeman said, “Our congregation has not addressed this and formed a consensus of opinion. Our congregation would have a diversity of opinion on the issue of same-sex ‘marriage.’”
The Alabama Baptist State Convention stated Feb. 10 that ministers who conduct marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples in Alabama risk losing their standing with the convention.
Joint plea
Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, and Travis Coleman Jr., president of the convention and pastor of First Baptist Church, Prattville, issued a joint plea to “stand strong for biblical marriage.”
“Any church that allows staff members to officiate at same-sex ceremonies is clearly outside biblical teachings about marriage and human sexuality, and they demonstrate that they are not in like-minded fellowship or friendly cooperation with Alabama Baptists and Southern Baptists.” To read the full statement, visit ricklance.com.
(Baptist Press, TAB)
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