Should state employees, whose religious beliefs cause them to oppose same-sex marriages, be allowed to refuse issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples?
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal thinks so. So does former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. And it would not in any way surprise me if some number of other Republican presidential candidates agree with them.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, however, does not. Here is his position on the matter, as excerpted from Zeke J. Miller\’s article for time.com:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie broke with many in his party\’s social conservative wing Wednesday, telling reporters that government employees who have objections to issuing same-sex marriage licenses should not be allowed to opt out.
While many conservatives have called for steps to protect government employees who have objections to Friday\’s same-sex marriage ruling from the Supreme Court, Christie said those who work for the government should abide by their oaths.
“You took the job and you took the oath,” he said. “When you go back and re-read the oath it doesn\’t give you an out. You have to do it.”
Christie is 100% correct.
This is NOT the same thing as a privately owned business – say a bakery – refusing to write a same-sex message on a cake (which I support.) This is a government agency.
If you work for the government, you abide by the laws. That\’s what government employees agree to do when they take their jobs. If you don\’t want to do that, then don\’t work for the government.
Period, end of story.
