There is a clear line between faith and law, and confusing them is why this country ends up in endless culture wars. A church wedding is a religious ritual. A marriage license is a civil contract. One is governed by belief. The other is governed by law. Mixing them is not theology, it is malpractice.
Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, was not being asked to bless a ceremony or preach from a pulpit. She was a public official paid by taxpayers, and she swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. When she refused to issue licenses after the Supreme Court affirmed marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges, she violated that oath.
Religious liberty protects belief. It does not permit government employees to deny lawful rights to citizens because of personal faith. That is not liberty. That is favoritism disguised as conscience.
Davis recently asked the Supreme Court to take up her case and reconsider the ruling that found her personally liable for damages. The Court declined. Obergefell stands. Marriage equality remains the law of the land. This is not a crisis. It is a reaffirmation of constitutional order.
But the political strategy behind her case tells a different story. Activists want to set the stage for a future challenge that would return marriage laws to the states. If that ever happened, some states would protect equality while others could strip recognition from existing marriages overnight. Families would face legal chaos. Children could lose the protection that comes from legally recognized parents. Hospitals, employers, and courts would be left guessing whose families count.
Same-sex couples are already raising children across the country through adoption, surrogacy, and blended families. These children depend on continuity and stability. Undermining their families to score political points is reckless.
A true conservative believes in limited government and personal freedom. You cannot preach liberty while letting government decide which families deserve recognition. Religious institutions already control their own sacraments. They can refuse ceremonies based on their doctrine, and the law respects that. But government offices are not altars. Public servants serve everyone or they step aside.
What offends me most about Davis is not her belief. People can grow and learn. What offends me is her refusal to try. If she ever chooses to have an honest debate, I will meet her anywhere and have it in public. If she refuses, she stands as an opponent of equal protection and of the Constitution she swore to uphold.
Citizens should pay attention to who benefits from these fights. Outrage is a business model. The people pushing this narrative are not defending faith. They are monetizing conflict.
Leadership requires something different. Protect the Respect for Marriage Act so families do not depend on one ruling or one court. Keep parentage and adoption laws up to date so children are never used as political hostages. And teach the simple truth that a marriage license is a legal right, not a religious test.
If this issue ever returns to the states, it will fall to voters and elected leaders to defend freedom where they live. I will stand on the side of personal liberty and family stability. I will defend faith, but I will not let faith be used to justify discrimination. I will always support love.
Thank you,
State Representative Fabián Basabe
