Marci Hamilton: The History of Religion in The United States

Source:National Constitution Center-

Source:The New Democrat

I believe Marci Hamilton hit it best that one of the great things about America is our Freedom of Religion and religious diversity. Because we are such a diverse country both ethnically and racially a country of Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, Germanic's, Slavs, Mediterraneans, Latinos, Africans, Asians, Indians, Middle Easterners, Jews and others, we are also a very diverse country religiously as well. Because all of these people's have their own cultures, traditions, faiths, that represents where their ancestors come from. That we don't have one dominant ethnic or racial majority with one religion for the whole country and we certainly aren't governed by any religion either. We have Freedom of Religion and freedom not to practice any religion, but we also have Separation of Church and State.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, is free to believe that homosexuality is a sin and that gays are sinners simply for being gay and that same-sex marriage is some moral threat to straight marriage. And she's also free to be deeply wrong about that. But as a government official she swore a duty to serve and protect the public. And even in Rowan County, Kentucky that includes gay people and she simply can't deny gays access and deny them marriage licenses simply because they are gay. She has a sworn duty to serve those people as much as she has a sworn duty to serve straight people. And if she has a problem from that she always resign from office. And perhaps take up the fight of protesting against homosexuality in America wither other members of the Christian-Right in this country.

And while Kim Davis is still serving the whole public in her country she still retains the right to believe that homosexuality is a sin and that gays should be second-class citizens in her county and perhaps everywhere else. Simply by using her First Amendment right and her freedom of religion. But that stops when it comes to forcing your religious beliefs as deep as they may be on everyone else in your community. Freedom of Religion in America doesn't give people the right to force others to live by your beliefs and deny people access because of your beliefs especially when you're a public official. If Clerk Davis doesn't want to serve the entire public in the county she can always resign her office and go work in the private sector like at her church.