Not surprisingly, Richard Dawkins has weighed in on the Kim Davis scandal in Kentucky in which the county clerk is now sitting in jail after refusing a court order to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

“Finally read up on this Kim Davis whom so many Americans are talking about. Why isn’t she simply fired and replaced? Why bother to jail her?” Dawkins asked on Twitter.

“2nd puzzle. Why Christians feel their ‘freedom of religion’ is violated when they’re denied their wish to curtail somebody else’s freedom?” He followed up.

Dawkins, of course, being British was unaware that we elect clerks in the US for some unknown reason, a practice that rightly puzzled the biologist.

“She’s ELECTED? You mean you guys ELECT the clerk who issues marriage licenses? Do you also elect the butcher, baker and candlestick maker?” He said in another tweet.

“Vote Dawkins for County Garbage Collector. Can Kim Davis seriously not be sacked because Marriage License Clerk is an ELECTED office?”

Vote Dawkins for County Garbage Collector. Can Kim Davis seriously not be sacked because Marriage License Clerk is an ELECTED office? — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 5, 2015

It is a strange practice to elect someone whose job it is to hand out licenses such as those for marriage and birth, when the job could easily be nothing more than hired officials through a normal interview process, and allowing the government to review and fire those unwilling to do the job.

Davis, who made headlines after the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, has said it is her duty to God to deny the licenses.

“To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience. It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision,” she said in a statement. “I was elected by the people to serve as the County Clerk. I intend to continue to serve the people of Rowan County, but I cannot violate my conscience.”

Dawkins, however, has a simple solution to Davis’ problem, tweeting:

“If her religion debars her from doing the job for which she’s paid, she should give up either her religion or her job.”

@RichardDawkins If her religion debars her from doing the job for which she’s paid, she should give up either her religion or her job. — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 5, 2015

[Image: Alex Folkes/Fishnik Photography]