Kim Davis has issued a statement about her refusal to obey a court order to do her job, and I’m going to go through all of it:

“I have worked in the Rowan County Clerk’s office for 27 years as a Deputy Clerk and was honored to be elected as the Clerk in November 2014, and took office in January 2015. I love my job and the people of Rowan County.

You don’t seem to realize that issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples is part of your job. If you loved doing your job then you’d be doing it…your lawsuits wouldn’t be happening if you loved doing your job. People who love their jobs don’t refuse to perform them.

I have never lived any place other than Rowan County. Some people have said I should resign, but I have done my job well.

Refusing to do your job is not doing it well.

This year we are on track to generate a surplus for the county of 1.5 million dollars.

Awesome. That’s like the Burger King employee who told customers to fuck off expressing bewilderment at his firing because he was good at keeping his station clean. Doing some parts of your job well but breaking the law and refusing services to members of the community who are entitled to them is still sucking at your job.

There’s undoubtedly somebody else out there who can handle the finances of the clerk’s office and also fulfill the rest of the position’s legal obligations.

“In addition to my desire to serve the people of Rowan County, I owe my life to Jesus Christ who loves me and gave His life for me.

Can we put this claim on trial in court?

Following the death of my godly mother-in-law over four years ago, I went to church to fulfill her dying wish. There I heard a message of grace and forgiveness and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I am not perfect. No one is.

But some people are a lot damn closer than you. Also, it doesn’t matter if you came to Christ because you read a bible verse scribbled onto the back of a Pringles can, your religion doesn’t allow you to deny other people government services.

A commenter on the blog, The Wretched, said something really great about the “I’m not perfect” line: “No one is asking for perfection. They (we, me) are asking for minimal compliance with the law and the rulings you sought from the court. You’re not being asked to be perfect. You’re being asked to hand out a licence, a core function of the office your preside over.”

But I am forgiven and I love my Lord and must be obedient to Him and to the Word of God.

That’s fine. Religious liberty protects that right. That’s why nobody can force you to marry a woman or prevent any of your three divorces just because the bible says that divorce isn’t allowed. But it doesn’t give you power over the government. It doesn’t give you the power to deny a government service to others. If you must obey god, and your job is in conflict with god’s will, the government can’t just tell other people “Too bad, Kim Davis’ god says you’re fucked” – it’s time for you the office of County Clerk to be free of you either by your own volition or through impeachment. If you can’t perform a service the courts have ruled the government must offer, it’s you that needs to go, not the law.

“I never imagined a day like this would come, where I would be asked to violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage.

Oh? Is somebody asking you to marry a woman? No? Then I’m confused.

To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience.

Then you and this job are not a good pairing and it’s time to quit.

It is not a light issue for me.

Or for the people who can’t get the marriage to which they’re legally entitled. But no, let’s focus on you and how much it sucks that you can’t get paid a full salary to not do a whole job.

It is a Heaven or Hell decision. For me it is a decision of obedience. I have no animosity toward anyone and harbor no ill will.

When people are having their rights arbitrarily restricted by a person who thinks it’s their religious right to do so, it hardly matters if you are indifferent to them or if you loathe them with every fiber of your being. You’re still doing exactly what someone who hates them would do. The hate of the actions isn’t mitigated by your motivation, Kim.

“To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue.

And yet, denying those specific people marriage licenses is the reason you’re hip-deep in legal shit right now. If it’s not a gay or lesbian issue, why are you trying to exert control over the lives of only LGBT people?

It is about marriage and God’s Word.

Yes, it’s about marriage – specifically the ones people are allowed to have but can’t because of you.

And as far as god’s word goes, that’s fine in church. But until god comes down and makes his case before the Supreme Court himself (and wins) then we don’t make our laws based on what your religion demands. If our laws were based on your religion we’d have preachers in place of courts, but we don’t.

In fact, god just spoke to me and told me he wants you to issue same-sex marriage licenses. What? Why should your god get to dictate the laws and not mine?

It is a matter of religious liberty, which is protected under the First Amendment, the Kentucky Constitution, and in the Kentucky Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

One can only imagine why that argument failed to convince a litany of Christian judges. There are two leading hypotheses here:

1. These mostly (or entirely) Christian judges are out to persecute Christians.

2. Religious liberty doesn’t include authority over the government or the power to deny people services promised to them by the government.

I know which one my money’s on.

Our history is filled with accommodations for people’s religious freedom and conscience.

While that’s true, you’d be hard pressed to find an example that included allowing somebody to harm others, which is exactly what happens when people can’t get a government service deemed to be their right.

I want to continue to perform my duties, but I also am requesting what our Founders envisioned – that conscience and religious freedom would be protected. That is all I am asking. I never sought to be in this position, and I would much rather not have been placed in this position.

You never sought to be in a position that bore the responsibility of dispensing marriage licenses? It’s an elected position. You had to campaign for it. And when you did campaign for it I’m pretty sure the job description didn’t say “It’s the job of the County Clerk to issue marriage licenses to all citizens, except when the County Clerk doesn’t approve of their marriage, because that’s the Clerk’s call, not theirs.”

If you don’t want a job that requires you to give same-sex couples the paperwork to get married there’s an easy solution: quit. Find a job you can do in good conscience. Religious liberty provides you protection from doing a job you don’t want to do – it doesn’t guarantee you the right to have a job you won’t do.

I have received death threats from people who do not know me.

If true, that sucks. You’re a wretched person who eagerly oppresses others, but you don’t deserve death or to be threatened with it. You deserve fines, impeachment, and jail time if those fail.

I harbor nothing against them.

Your behavior is indistinguishable from somebody who despises them. Even if you are truly apathetic, your disposition does not rescue your actions. Your disposition is not on trial. Your actions are.

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.”

Gay people are also citizens of Rowan County. If you’re not serving them then you’re not serving the people of the County. That statement isn’t a defense: it’s an assertion as to why you’re unfit for your job. When government services are on the line you don’t get to pick and choose who gets them like you pick and choose which bible verses apply (presumably the ones about gay marriage being an abomination but not the ones about divorce being adultery).

You don’t have to violate your conscience. You also don’t have to keep a job that requires you to violate it. The government cannot deny marriage licenses to its citizens. You can leave your job if you no longer wish to do it.

Look, you sued the state. You wanted the courts to rule. Had they ruled the other way you would’ve expected everybody else to abide by the ruling, yes? Then you need to abide by their ruling when it doesn’t go your way. Fair’s fair. Otherwise why ask the court for a ruling you think carries no authority? This is a pretty shitty game you’re playing here, Kim.

You don’t get it: you’re not the injured party here. There is no guarantee that Christians should have more authority than the courts or the Constitution. However, there is a promise to LGBT people that they can marry, and they’re being denied that promise by you. Do you really expect anybody who hasn’t had their compassion hamstrung by Jesus to sympathize with you before them? There’s only one group that’s not getting their due here and it isn’t Kim Davis, it’s the victims of her ego – because if Davis didn’t feel her religion gave her more authority than the Supreme Court this wouldn’t be an issue.

You’re not the injured party here, Kim – they are. And if you expect us to overlook their injury to protect the privilege you imagine is your right because you believe a guy rose from the dead 2,000 years ago, no, we won’t. Real compassion, real love won’t let us. There is no way to spin this so you are the good guy or the victim, Kim. You’re the bad guy. You have been from the beginning. And doing what you have because of Jesus doesn’t make you a hero, it just makes your religion a bad influence.

Have fun in the world’s shortest hearing for contempt on Thursday morning.