Friday, March 29, 2024

ABC News Airs Interview with Kim Davis

On Tuesday, ABC aired the following interview with Kim Davis.  Tonight, it’s Megyn Kelly’s turn:

Announcer: Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses for same sex couples, saying that would violate her Christian beliefs.  She spent six days in jail for contempt of court and the ACLU now claims she’s interfering with marriages again.  This morning her first interview with Paula Faris.  Good morning Paula.

Faris:  Good morning George, and I spent several hours with her at her Kentucky property.  Kim Davis says her religious liberty and her conscience go hand in hand.  In her eyes those licenses being issued right now, without her name on them, are not valid.  She tells me that if it comes down to it she is prepared to go back to jail.

Davis:  I have never once spattered a word of hate, I’ve not been hateful.  I’ve had people yelling and screaming and cussing me.

Faris: Kim Davis says she never expected to become a household name when she started denying marriage licenses at her county clerk office.

Davis: (tearfully) I’m just a normal person, that has has been touched by the grace of God, and his mercy.  I haven’t always been a good person, Paula.

When I didn’t live for God, I was real good at living for the devil.  

Faris: You’ve been married four times.  You had children in adulterous relationships.  People are calling you a hypocrite.  Are you?

Davis: No.  I’m forgiven.  Washed clean.

Faris: And so four years ago when Davis found God, she said she could not separate Church from State, believing marriage was between a man and a woman.  Davis, who was elected in November as a Democrat, refuses to obey the opinion of the Supreme Court that sent her to jail for contempt.

Who do you think your boss is?  Is your boss God?  Is your boss your constituents, or is your boss the Federal Government?”

Davis: Well, my constituents elected me, but the main authority that rules my life is the Lord.

Faris: So Godly authority trumps all other authority in your mind?

Davis: Yes

Faris: So why would you want to remain in this position.

Davis: I’m good at my job.  I have friends who are gay and lesbians.  They know where I stand and we don’t agree on this issue, and we’re OK because we respect each other.

Faris: So you would deny your friends who are in gay relationships?  You would deny them a marriage license as well?

Davis: I did.  I can’t put my name on a license that doesn’t represent what God has ordained marriage to be.

Faris: And there are thousands of others who feel the same way.  She has received letters of encouragement from all over the world.  Numerous handwritten notes, a handmade prayer shawl, and crosses.  But the hate mail came too.

“Very vulgar”  (looking at piece of mail Davis holds up).  

Davis: I’ve been called Hitler, I’ve been called hypocrite, I’ve been called a homophobe.  I’ve been called things and names that I didn’t even say when I was in the world.

What probably hurts me the worst is when someone tells me that my God does not love me.  That my God is not happy with me.  That I am a hypocrite of a Christian.

Faris: Davis was released from jail after being behind bars for six days, greeting the public in an emotional rally, even getting the attention of Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.  Now back at work she’s still refusing to put her name on any marriage licenses, forcing her deputy, Brian Mason, to perform those duties.

“Now Brian is signing the marriage licenses.  Your name is not on those licenses.  In your mind are they still valid?”

Davis: They’re not valid in God’s eyes, for one, and you know, I had given no authority to write a marriage license.  They did not have my permission, they did not have my authorization.

Faris: When the people who finally received the marriage license said he finally felt human.  That was a direct quote, he was in tears.  People will ask the question “why is your moral conscience more important than someone else’s happiness?”

Davis: I don’t think that dignity is guaranteed within the constitution.  I think dignity is something that you find within yourself.

I feel really sad that someone would feel so unhappy with themselves as a person that they did not feel dignified as a human being until they got a piece of paper.  I mean there’s just so much more to life than that.

Nick Arnold is a researcher for American Principles In Action.

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