Tag Archives: Kentucky

Davis Case Brings Religious Freedom Issues to Forefront

The recent jailing of a Christian in Kentucky because of her stand for her beliefs is bringing about a national debate on the issue of religious freedom and religious accommodation.

Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky, recently spent five days in jail because she refused to compromise her Christian beliefs.

“Thank you all so much. I love you all so very much,” she said. “I just want to give God the glory. His people have rallied, and you are a strong people. We serve a living God who knows exactly where each and every one of us is at. Just keep on pressing. Don’t let down, because he is here. He’s worthy.”

The lawyers in the case say the problem is that the judge involved with the case will not make an accommodation to Davis based on her faith that would allow her to complete her tasks without violating her “Constitutionally protected” freedom of speech.

“We’ve asked for a simple solution — get her name and authority off the certificate. The judge could order that,” attorney Mat Staver said.

Now, the Kentucky legislature has a majority of members calling on the Governor to hold a special session to look at religious accommodation laws and ways that the religious freedom of people of all faiths can be protected.  The Governor has refused stating a desire to not spend taxpayer dollars.

Missouri lawmakers have also announced an intention to introduce laws to “protect religious liberty.”

Kentucky Clerk Appeals Jail Order

Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to hand out marriage licenses to same-sex couples, has appealed the contempt in court ruling that put her in jail last week.

“As a prisoner of her conscience, Davis continues to request a simple accommodation and exemption from Governor Beshear, who is overseeing Kentucky marriage policy,” the appeal states.

Davis is represented by the non-profit legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel, who officially appealed the decision Sunday with a three page motion that doesn’t list why she should be released, but amends Davis’ earlier appeal of the judge’s order. However, her reasons for refusing to issue marriage licenses were clear as she has repeatedly stated that she does not support same-sex marriage due to her religious beliefs. The Liberty Counsel argues that her religious beliefs are not being protected.

“The governor’s refusal to take elementary steps to protect religious liberties has now landed Kim Davis in jail,” Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver said.

In June, Davis stopped issuing all marriage licenses shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Davis was sued by two homosexual couples and two straight couples. U.S. District Judge David Bunning, with the support of the Supreme Court, sided with the couples and ordered Davis to issue the licenses.

Davis still refused to issue marriage licenses, which led to Bunning ruling that Davis was in contempt of court for disobeying his order and Davis being sent to jail. However, the couples who sued Davis did not intend her for her to be jailed according to their attorney, Daniel Canon.

While Davis is behind bars, five of her deputies have agreed to hand out marriage licenses in her absence.

“Civil rights are civil rights and they are not subject to belief,” said James Yates, who was able to receive a marriage license on Friday after being denied five times.

Davis has now been in jail for five days, but Bunning stated that she could be in jail for a week or longer if she continues to refuse the his orders. Bunning has offered to release Davis as long as she allows her deputy clerks to continue handing out marriage licenses, but Davis refused.

“She’s not going to resign, she’s not going to sacrifice her conscience, so she’s doing what Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, which is to pay the consequences for her decision,” Mat Staver, one of Davis’ attorneys, said.

Staver added that Davis will remain in jail until a compromise is reached. He stated that his client would be willing to hand out marriage licenses if her name was removed from the licenses. The legislature could vote for the removal of clerks’ names from licenses, but the legislation won’t be in until January. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear stated last week that he wouldn’t call for a special session because it would cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money.”

The case has brought protests and rallies for each side. On Saturday, approximately 200 supporters of Davis’ decision gathered and prayed on Saturday. Several even shouted “Thank you, Kim” repeatedly and held up signs that read “Kim Davis for President.”

GOP Presidential hopeful, Mike Huckabee, has also openly supported Kim Davis and her decision. The former Arkansas governor plans to visit Davis and rally her supporters on Tuesday.

As for Davis, her attorneys say that she is in a cell by herself. She has been occupying her time by studying her Bible while in jail.

Minor Earthquake Hits New Madrid Fault

A minor earthquake struck the New Madrid fault Tuesday, the second quake on the fault line in the last two weeks.

The magnitude 2.7 quake struck around 8:46 p.m. Tuesday about 5 miles from the town of New Madrid, Missouri.  The Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI) at the University of Memphis said the quake was 5.9 miles deep.

Residents in northwest Tennessee, southeast Missouri and western Kentucky all reported slight shaking from the quake.

It’s the second minor quake along the New Madrid Fault in two weeks.  A magnitude 3.5 quake struck near Memphis, Tennessee on August 25th.

The New Madrid fault line is twenty times larger than the San Andreas fault line in California.

One Missouri official is calling on residents to check to make sure they have earthquake coverage as part of their homeowners insurance.  The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the probability of a 7.5 or greater quake in the next 50 years at 7-10%, with the possibility of a quake stronger than 6.0 at 25-40%.

Two Dead, Six Missing in Kentucky Flooding

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has declared a state of emergency after flooding that left two people dead and six people missing.

Severe storms raged through the state dumping inches of rain in just hours over parts of the state already saturated from previous storms.  The flash flooding swept through rural areas, washing away mobile homes and vehicles.

Among the missing is a man being hailed as a hero for saving his father, uncle and sister.  Scott Johnson went back after saving the first three from the flood waters to get his grandmother and a teenage nephew.  He jammed his nephew into a tree before the flood water swept him away along with his grandmother.

The grandmother’s body was found Tuesday.  Johnson is still missing.

“It just wears your legs out to walk,” said Gary McClure, the local emergency management director. “You walk from here to there in that mud and you’re ready to sit down. It just pulls you down.”

The other confirmed death was a 65-year-old man whose SUV was being swept away by flood waters and he tried to exit the vehicle to escape.

Police say that the search area for the missing stretches more than 8 miles through rugged Appalachian Mountains terrain east of Lexington.  Over 500 homes and 1,200 residents live in the area.

The National Guard has been called into the area to help with search and rescue efforts.

The forecast for the region is calling for more rain which officials say has “nowhere to go but roads, homes and yards.”

Kentucky Government Bows To Anti-Christianist Wishes

The government of Kentucky has bowed to the demands of anti-Christianists who have been smearing the proposed Noah’s Ark theme park in the northern part of the state.

The state has withdrawn $18 million in tax incentives after multiple anti-Christian groups and organizations harassed legislators and officials claiming the park will promote religion in violation of the mythical separation of church and state.

Ken Ham’s Answers in Genesis who is funding the $172.5 million dollar park is now considering a lawsuit against the state to challenge the decision.  The preliminary approval for the state tax-incentive program would have allowed them to keep 25 percent of state sales tax collected at the park for 10 years.

It could have meant more than $18 million that could be used to develop the park.

“State tourism tax incentives cannot be used to fund religious indoctrination or otherwise be used to advance religion,” Tourism Secretary Bob Stewart noted in the letter saying the state will now deny the funds. “The use of state incentives in this way violates the separation of church and state provisions of the Constitution and is therefore impermissible.”

The state is demanding Answers in Genesis not allow only Christians to be hired for the park.

“If you insist on the newly imposed condition … it will amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and my client will have no choice but to seek redress in federal court,” AiG attorney James Parsons wrote to the state.

Reality TV Show Snake Handling Pastor Dies From Snakebite

Jamie Coots, who was the star of the National Geographic Channel reality TV show “Snake Salvation,” has died after being bitten by a snake during a weekend service.

Coots was bitten by a rattlesnake during a service Saturday night in Middlesboro, Kentucky.  Emergency personnel arrived at the church from a 911 call but Coots had left the church and gone home.   Police and medical crews arrived at the pastor’s home around 9 p.m. and urged him to accept treatment but he refused.  A return visit by paramedics an hour later found the pastor dead.

His son Cody told FoxNews that his father had been bitten eight times before by rattlesnakes but never had such a severe reaction.

“In following Pastor Coots,” National Geographic channel said in a statement, “we were constantly struck by his devout religious convictions despite the health and legal peril he often faced.  Those risks were always worth it to him and his congregants as a means to demonstrate their unwavering faith.”

Snake handling is illegal in most states including Kentucky.

Midwestern Tornadoes Leave Six Dead

At least six people are confirmed dead after a Sunday outbreak of tornadoes across the Midwest.

The town of Washington, Illinois was devastated by a massive tornado that tore an 1/8th mile wide track through the entire town. Mayor Gary Manier said that up to 500 homes have been damaged or destroyed and that some neighborhoods are completely destroyed.

“How people survived is beyond me,” Manier said.

The tornadic storms are considered unusual for mid-November. Damaging winds and tornadoes were reported in 12 states: Michigan, Iowa, Illnois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York.

The storms moved so fast at times that weather forecasters were warning people to see shelter even before they could see a change in the weather.

The storm threatened the Chicago area forcing the game between the NFL’s Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens to be delayed for two hours as teams and spectators huddled under the stadium.

Teen Disqualified For Refusing To Wear 666 In Cross Country Meet

A Kentucky teenager who refused to wear the number 666 in a regional cross country meet lost her chance to continue to chase a state championship.

Codie Thacker took a stand for her Christian beliefs and refused to wear the number even when she was told that she would not be able to run.

“I just don’t believe that 666 should be a number that’s anywhere on your body and I did not want that number associated with me. It kind of made me sick,” Thacker told reporters.

A representative for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association spokesman said that officials were not told Thacker’s objection was for religious reasons or they would have accommodated her. However, both Thacker and her coach told reporters they explicitly told the KHSAA officials she was objecting because of her Christian faith.

“I wouldn’t have been more proud of her if she won the entire meet. She stood on her principles; she stood for what she believed in,” Thacker’s coach Gina Croley said.

Senator Says “There Is A War on Christianity”

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said in a speech today at the Faith and Freedom Coalition luncheon that there is a “war on Christianity”.

“It angers me to see my tax dollars supporting regimes that put Christians to death for blasphemy against Islam, countries that put to death Muslims who convert to Christianity, and countries who imprison anyone who marries outside their religion,” Sen. Paul said. “There is a war on Christianity, not just from liberal elites here at home, but worldwide.” Continue reading →

Lyme Disease On Increase

As temperatures increase for the summer, scientists are noting an increase in ticks infected with Lyme disease. They have also released a study that shows an increase in Lyme disease rates in 21 states.

“There is a lot of different theories of Lyme disease increasing because of warming temperatures,” said Dr. Liza Whalen. Continue reading →