Religious liberty is good for everyone

Soon it may be against the law in Wyoming to be a Christian who believes in the biblical teaching of marriage as one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27, 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5) and to also hold a public office. At least that’s the contention of the Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics and their case against the Honorable Judge Ruth Neely of Pinedale, Wyo. They want the Supreme Court to remove her from office because of her religious beliefs that prohibit her from performing same sex weddings. On Aug. 17, the Supreme Court will decide her case. This ought to be of grave concern for every American – Christian or not. One of the fundamental principles of this country was and still is (I hope) religious freedom. If the court rules against her, it means that no one who believes in biblical marriage can be a judge in the state of Wyoming. Neely, like many Christians, has stated that according to her beliefs she cannot in good conscience perform such weddings. This is not unreasonable. If a Christian believes they will be held accountable to the Almighty God for doing such things then, they should not be forced to do them or face losing their job. She is not forcing her views on anyone else but has merely stated them in response to questions from a local journalist. Now the goal is to force her out of office and terminate her livelihood. Religious liberty is good for everyone so that no one is coerced to believe or not believe in something under penalty of law. In effect the Commission is saying, you must believe in our definition of marriage, forsaking what you believe in, in order to hold public office. If we allow this freedom (among others) to be taken away, so much for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – at least for someone who believes in God’s Word and wants to live and work according to His principles in this country.

Rev. Samuel Needham, Pastor,

St. Paul Lutheran Church,