Mississippi Clerk Resigns Rather Than Issue Gay Marriage Licenses
Linda Barnette issued marriage licences for 24 years, but being required to issue them to gays is too much for her.
“I choose to obey God rather than man,” Mrs. Barnette wrote in her one paragraph resignation letter to the Grenada County Board of Supervisors.
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“I am a follower of Christ and I believe strongly that the Bible is my final authority,” she wrote. ‘The Bible teaches that a marriage is to be between a man and a woman. Therefore, because of the recent ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, I can no longer fulfill my duties as Circuit Clerk and issue marriage licenses to same sex couples…
“I told my supervisors a while back if it happened, I would tender my resignation,” she told me. “I had already decided in my heart that I could not issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. It’s my Christian belief. As a follower of Christ, I could not do it. The bible teaches it is contrary to His plan.”
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William July 2nd, 2015 at 00:45
I may not agree with her beliefs, but I admire her actions. She stuck by her convictions, and left a job she could not do in good conscience.
whatthe46 July 2nd, 2015 at 01:52
but is it real? or is it just, jumping on the bandwagon. maybe she was just tired of working. does she get retirement now?
William July 2nd, 2015 at 09:07
I cannot say what her true motivation is. I’m taking her at face value. I think as liberals we should respect another persons convictions, if they are true. We’ve been on both sides of the issue. Example. I’m not gay, in fact I find the thought of an intimate gay relationship repugnant. I will however fight tooth and nail for a another persons rights. It really isn’t gay rights it’s civil rights. Gay people are guaranteed the same rights as anyone else under the Constitution.
This woman has simply chosen to take herself off of the battlefield.
To put it another way. If you were ardently anti war, and your company retooled and starting making land mines instead of trailer hitches, I’d support your decision to quit…..and no I’m not comparing gay marriage to land mines.
I concede that my attitude is steeped in actual observation.
My wife is a talented athlete and well known personal trainer. She is also a 7th day Adventist. She has forsaken competitions and very lucrative job opportunities because it would require her to work on Saturday. I’m talking insane money via a wealthy lady who had her own personal gym in her “summer home”
Parties, dinners, reunions, concerts, movies, plays, and even her decades long dream of attending a live showing of Prairie home companion. (side note, they are appearing on a Wednesday in August in Portland Maine, and yeah, I got tickets).
I respect faith as long as it doesn’t hurt people. It’s really that simple.
Religion isn’t a bad thing when it’s directed in the manner Jesus preached. Religions have built hospitals orphanages, and food pantries. There will always be extremists, but conversely there will always be folks who simply decide passively leave the place they find contrary to their faith.
Dwendt44 July 2nd, 2015 at 20:01
The trouble is, these so called christian hate mongers pick and chose what parts of the bible they follow and what parts they ignore. True religion isn’t a buffet.
William July 3rd, 2015 at 01:14
True, but it’s impractical (and I think illegal) to stone your neighbor for not keeping the Sabbath or selling your daughter into slavery.
The Original Just Me July 3rd, 2015 at 01:20
Yup, and the parts that they do follow, they usually twist to meet their own interests.
ecotoper July 2nd, 2015 at 17:22
46 … yes, she gets her retirement … the story clearly states that she has been on the job for 24 years, and she is very likely enrolled in the state pension program … there is almost nothing someone can do to deny them a government pension … our former governor turned out to be a horrible child molester, and he gets every penny of his pension … he was also protected by statutes of limitation for that crime … this woman will likely join some advocacy group spitting biblical vitriol on the subject of gay rights in America …
whatthe46 July 2nd, 2015 at 19:01
well for her bigotry, gofundme will payout much better than any retirement.
Chinese Democracy July 2nd, 2015 at 03:27
Im glad she quit really.. now she cant deny me my rights heh
Glen July 2nd, 2015 at 08:37
Indeed. This is exactly how conscientious objection is supposed to work. They can’t force her to issue gay marriage licenses, but if she doesn’t want to issue them, she can’t then insist on being paid for a job she’s not doing.
It’s the ones that will insist that it’s their right to follow their religious beliefs rather than the law… and then try to insist that they can’t be fired because it would be religious persecution… that are the real problem. Either you work for your religion, or your government. You can’t have it both ways.
William July 2nd, 2015 at 08:44
I quit a real good job, and my motivation was not religious. It was a morality issue. Your observation is spot on.
Stan Ubeki July 2nd, 2015 at 09:20
Agreed. I quit a great job in aerospace. I was on the pure science and observation side, then they insisted I get a security clearance and work on defense contracts. I wouldn’t apply my talents to design killing machines.
William July 2nd, 2015 at 09:25
I admire that. Money is temporary and fleeting. Living with yourself lasts…well…a lifetime.
CandideThirtythree July 2nd, 2015 at 11:05
I quit a teaching job when the special education director told me not to bother teaching my students to read because someone would be reading ‘The Test’ to them.
Elliot J. Stamler July 3rd, 2015 at 01:55
This sums it up accurately and well.
Stan Ubeki July 2nd, 2015 at 09:14
I’m betting she was made an offer she couldn’t accept. But it is Mississippi.
Chinese Democracy July 2nd, 2015 at 01:25
It’s a job requirement to issue marriage licenses. To me its like a pilot refusing to fly because he is Amish. Do the job or find another one ..
Conservatives using religion as an excuse for their bigotry is getting old
These Christians dont have a problem with sexual orientation.. and neither did Jesus.
Episcopalians vote to allow gay marriage in churches
http://goo.gl/GkoV7K
whatthe46 July 2nd, 2015 at 01:51
in 3…2…1 gofundme.
fahvel July 2nd, 2015 at 03:11
does her bibbble pay unemployment?
Paula Ledbetter Graves July 2nd, 2015 at 10:24
She shouldn’t have been in that position anyway according to her Bible. One either lives by all of the Bible or none of it.
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array” 1 Tim 2:9
“But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” 1 Tim 2:12
CandideThirtythree July 2nd, 2015 at 11:02
Yea but she sure could issue license #7 to those good christians couldn’t she?
tracey marie July 2nd, 2015 at 12:17
She will not be eligible for retirement benefits, she takes her SS and savings/tsp if the state offers it.
ecotoper July 3rd, 2015 at 02:27
tracey marie … you have NO idea what you are saying … state employees often vest in their pensions after as little as 5 years … per the story, she has 24 years on the job … of course she WILL be eligible for her pension, and that is whether she quits or is fired for cause … with regard to SS income, which is NOT administered by the states, she must be at least 62 years old to collect a monthly payment, and between 66 and 70 to collect up to the “full” monthly amount … where in the hell do you get your information, from comic books ? … I have no idea how old you are, but you had better get some serious outside help with your own personal finances, as you have absolutely no clue regarding these matters … good luck …
whatthe46 July 3rd, 2015 at 02:44
so, you are pro-discrimination?
tracey marie July 3rd, 2015 at 13:11
nope, her tenure did not hit the 30 year mark, she may receive partial payments later on.Once you start receiving SS you may not get a change in amounts, if she files to receive at 62 she is stuck with the lower amount. You have no clue about anything, good luck with your mental problems
ecotoper July 3rd, 2015 at 14:08
tracey … I get it now … you are a serial commenter, without a clue to speak of … you have made some 75,000 posts, and chose to block your personal site, not wanting anyone to know just what a fool you are … I earned an MBA from an ivy school, and worked in finance for decades … what are your finance credentials, a high school diploma and a cute little doggie ? … you have no idea whatever of what is entailed in the analysis of retirement financing … this woman in Mississippi will most certainly receive an income from her state retirement plan, and your use of the word “tenure” is completely irrelevant … what she gets from SS will depend on her age at inception, and how Miss laws affect the combination of SS and state retirement income … please tracey, tell us about your academic and professional qualifications … you are one special little piece of work …
tracey marie July 3rd, 2015 at 19:31
I get it now, you are a troll.
Judgeforyourself37 July 2nd, 2015 at 12:46
She should keep her religious opinions to herself. She is a state employee not a clergy person in the capacity she held. If she could not do the job, she should have resigned. She is not there to judge others. I will wager that she issued licenses to people who had been previously married and divorced, and that is disallowed in her bible.
ecotoper July 3rd, 2015 at 18:40
37 … Did you happen to read the story headline ? … ” Mississippi Clerk RESIGNS” … wow …
polekeep July 2nd, 2015 at 12:57
While u at it honeybunch, why don’t you start packing and follow Rick Willes to where ever he’s goin’ !! You two could verbally masturbate on each other during the trip, and have a grand old time remoniscing.
SkeeterVT July 2nd, 2015 at 13:16
Linda Barnette did the honorable thing by resigning as the Genada County clerk. Although I am a firm supporter of the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry — the same right that interracial couples have enjoyed for almost a half-century — I have far more respect for those opposed who came to the conclusion that they could not serve two masters and chose to give up their state positions than I do for opponents who choose to openly defy the high court’s ruling and refuse to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples while still on the job.
Barnette’s decision to resign as county clerk proves that her opposition was on clear and deeply-held religious principles, rather then blind hatred and prejudice toward gay men and lesbian women. It also demonstrated Barnette’s respect for the constitutional separation of religion and government.
When my home state of Vermont instituted civil unions in 2000 (nine years before it became the first state to voluntarily legalize same-sex marriage), several town clerks — all of them women, incidentally — resigned rather than violate their religious beliefs. One male clerk, on the other hand, not only refused to issue civil union certificates, but he openly disparaged same-sex couples who sought them. For that show of defiance and disrespect, he was ultimately fired.
Have you noticed that the fiercest resistance to — and open defiance of — the high court’s ruling is coming from (presumably straight) men? It’s not exactly a secret that men are far less accepting of same-sex marriage than women are — which I strongly believe is directly tied to their personal discomfort with homosexuality. How personal? I’m not going to speculate, but there is strong evidence that homophobia is much more prevalent among men than it is among women.
liberalMD July 3rd, 2015 at 00:13
She looks like someone whose conscience would not bother her in the least by staying home and drawing her retirement pay……money that the taxpayers gave to the federal government who in turn gave it to the state of Mississippi to provide services to the poor and needy of that state.
Elliot J. Stamler July 3rd, 2015 at 01:56
Well she is doing the right thing. If a public official simply can not fulfill t heir public duties because of a conflict with their conscience, whether religiously motivated or otherwise, they should resign their job. Nobody has the right to force her to stay on the job.