He just had to get it off his chest. In a Facebook post, an Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy wrote: “If it ever comes down to having to enforce any kind of laws regarding gay marriage … mark my words … I will not do it!”
He added: “I will not adjust to man’s standard over what the word of God says.”
Unfortunately for this irate deputy, the oath he took and the gun and badge he carries are all about “man’s standard.” And Sheriff’s Office policy says employees can express themselves on social media only as long as “their speech does not impair the working relationships of this agency.”
A law enforcer declaring he won’t enforce certain laws might indeed impair working relationships. So Sheriff Larry Ashley had the deputy take down his offending post.
That was the easy part. It’s a little tougher to square last week’s Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage with — as the deputy put it — “what the word of God says.”
We would suggest there is no need for conflict.
People of faith can still oppose gay lifestyles and the idea of gay marriage if they’re inclined to do so.
Churches are still free to decide whether or not to bless such relationships.
We are comfortable with the Supreme Court’s decision because it enlarges Americans’ sphere of personal liberty. This newspaper has long maintained that government should have little or no role in defining or regulating so intimate a relationship as marriage.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted last week with the minority, said the court ought to back off because “whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us.” Bravo!
Via: NWF Daily News
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