When gay marriage passed in 2015, some of Alabama’s probate judges refused to sign off on same-sex marriage licenses because they were Christian and believed in God’s design for marriage. Well now Alabama has found a way around this issue which accommodates these Christian probate judges:
NBC NEWS – After some conservative Alabama probate judges stopped issuing marriage licenses over the issue of same-sex marriage, state lawmakers have come up with a workaround: marriage certificates that don’t have to be signed before the wedding by the judge.
The bill, which won final approval Thursday, now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature.
For several years a few conservative probate judges in Alabama have refused to issue marriage licenses to anyone so they don’t have to issue them to gay and lesbian couples.
The House of Representatives voted 67-26 for the bill that would replace marriage licenses with a new form called a marriage certificate.
Republican Sen. Greg Albritton, the sponsor of the bill, said he proposed the change so people can obtain marriage documents in every county.
Rep. Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the House, said the proposal was “born out of prejudice.”
“It accommodates a handful of judges that couldn’t get their personal feelings, couldn’t check them those at the door and couldn’t do their jobs,” Rafferty, D-Birmingham, said.
Current Alabama law says probate judges “may” issue marriage, but doesn’t force them to do so.
Of course the one gay liberal hates it because he can’t stand the fact that Christians are allowed to disagree with same-sex marriage.
But as Christians we don’t check our beliefs at the door and we shouldn’t be persecuted by the state for our long-held Christian beliefs just because the courts have deemed it legal for gays to marriage.
Here’s how the law would work:
Currently a judge signs a marriage license before a couple’s wedding. Allen said he viewed signing the form as endorsing the marriage.
Under the proposed change, couples would return a form and an affidavit affirming they meet legal requirements to be married, to the probate judge’s office. The judge, or someone in his or her office, would still sign the certificate to show it was filed with the county. Albritton said that is acceptable to the judges because it is simply signing off on the documents being filed.
This isn’t a perfect solution but at least these Christian probate judges now don’t have to put their John Hancock on something that is an anathema to God.
I’d be curious to find out if this solves the issue for them.