Westboro Baptist Joins the Anti-Kim Davis Bandwagon But the Reason May Surprise You

The noted anti-LGBT rabble rousers at the Westboro Baptist Church, have added Kim Davis to their enemies list.

In a series of tweets, church members added their own thoughts to the national conversation on the Kentucky clerk's quixotic stand against marriage equality. Spoiler: They say she's going to hell.

Davis was jailed on contempt of court charges Thursday for continuing her refusal to issue marriage licenses, citing her religious beliefs. Davis was ordered to issue the licenses by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear following the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, but she's steadfastly refused to comply with the law. A federal judge also instructed Davis to issue the licenses after four couples sued her for refusing to serve them. Davis appealed the decision to both the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, but lost each time. This week the clerk flouted the Supreme Court ruling, leading to the contempt of court charge.

But she isn't quite Christian enough for Westboro.

The church has attacked the clerk for hypocrisy. As was reported this week, Davis has been married four times. Davis divorced her first husband after committing adultery with her third husband and becoming pregnant with twins. Her second husband adopted the children, but Davis eventually divorced him to marry the children's biological father. Davis has since divorced that man and remarried her second husband.

Davis and Westboro split on how they react to the legal system. Eleven of founder Fred Phelps's children are lawyers. Daughter Margie Phelps has even argued the church's case before the Supreme Court. Westboro Baptist has repeatedly used the law to its favor to continue anti-LGBT activities. The Supreme Court's 2011 ruling in Snyder v. Phelps established that speech on a public sidewalk on a public issue is not liable for inflicting emotional distress, even if the speech is "outrageous," after the group protested at the funeral of a Marine corporal killed in Iraq. The church is well-known for picketing funerals, concerts, and other venues where it can earn media attention for their infamous "God Hates Fags" campaign. Members blame LGBT people for the deaths of soldiers killed in action, claiming the government's growing acceptance of LGBT people has angered their Christian god.

While Westboro Baptist followed the law and used it to its favor, Davis took the opposite route and has expressly refused to follow the law.

Davis had also refused to allow her staff to issue the licenses. But during Thursday's court hearing, five out of six deputy clerks indicated they would issue the licenses. Davis decided she would rather stay in jail than give her permission for them to follow the law. As The Advocate reported this morning, the deputy clerks have begun issuing licenses without her approval.



What if a clerk denied #KimDavis a license for her 2nd/3rd/4th marriage because Christ calls it adultery? — Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) September 4, 2015



Mark 8:36: "For what shall it profit a [woman], if [she] shall gain the whole world, and lose [her] own soul?" #KimDavis #QuitTheAdultery — Westboro Baptist (@WBCSaysRepent) September 4, 2015