While most eyes will be
fixed today on the undesired visit of President Obama to Umpqua, Oregon … and
whether or not it will be a platform for his gun control stance… elsewhere in Oregon
two circuit court judges will be getting less attention because they are
declining (for religious reasons) to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Both Washington County Judge Thomas Kohl and
Marion County Judge Vance Day are known as devout Christians.
Same-sex marriage became
legal in Oregon as a result of a May 2014 decision by a U.S. District Court
judge. State law allows judges to
perform marriage ceremonies but doesn’t require them to provide the service.
Kohl acknowledged in an
email to The Oregonian that last
summer, for “personal faith-based reasons,” he had decided to no longer perform
weddings as a judge. He declined any further
comment.
Kohl has held his
judgeship since 1997, and Day since 2011 … both initially appointed by
then-Gov. John Kitzhaber. As noted by The Oregonian, Kohl’s situation is
different from Day’s in that Kohl is not currently facing any complaint or
investigation, while Day is.
Day’s refusal to perform
same-sex weddings was one factor in an investigation by the state Commission on
Judicial Fitness and Disability. That
panel alleges that Day’s actions and statements are calling into question his
impartiality as a judge. According to
the commission, Day told his staff to send same-sex marriage requests to other
judges. Like Kohl, Day has stopped doing
any wedding ceremonies.
The Oregonian
further reported that the state commission’s probe looked into additional
allegations against Day, including that Day displayed a picture of Adolf Hitler
in the Salem courthouse, allowed a convicted felon to handle a gun and took
lawyers’ money to fund a pet project. Day
denies doing anything improper and explained that the Hitler picture was part
of a war-memorabilia collage intended to honor veterans. A commission hearing is set for November 9th.
Kohl wrote a book titled
Losing Megan, and also speaks to
audiences in prisons and churches, on how his faith in Christ enabled him to
forgive the man who is now serving life in prison for killing Kohl’s
21-year-old daughter in a murder-for-hire plot in 2006.
Day received his
bachelor’s degree from Warner Pacific College and law degree from Willamette University.
He has worked at Regent University in
Virginia and Middle East Television, both affiliated with the Christian Broadcasting Network. He attends Morning Star Community Church in
Salem. His stance on marriage garnered
substantial criticism in local media; for example, Oregonian columnist Steve Duin wrote that Day should step down from
the bench.
But both Day and Kohl
also received support from Christian media and legal agencies nationally. Among those strongly backing both judges and
their right to accommodation of their religious beliefs was Family Research
Council President Tony Perkins, who in his blog charged that Day is now facing
an “all-out smear campaign” by gay rights activists.
Clearly there is an
all-out assault on the religious conscience of Christians who hold to the
biblical definition of marriage (between one man and one woman). We see it with Kim Davis (the Kentucky county
clerk) and with these judges. Of course,
the initial focus will be on governmental officials … which will shortly
include U.S. military chaplains.
Ultimately it will lead to those Christian clergy who do not recognize
homosexual ‘marriage.’ Stay tuned – more
to follow.
Rev.
Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain
(Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army
Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
No comments:
Post a Comment