Exercising our religious beliefs is our right and no decison of a court should impact that right

The recent Supreme Court decision involving same sex marriage has been taken one step further than what the decision actually said. Exercising our religious beliefs is a right we clearly have under the Constitution and being arrested and jailed should not be involved when we make a decision to exercise that right. The recent case in Kentucky involving the arrest of a county clerk to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples is well within her rights to make that decision. Arresting this individual stomps on our Constitution but it is not the first time the government has stepped in to punish individuals and in some cases businesses who exercise their religious beliefs.

One of the interesting facts that have surfaced in the latest example of attacking our religious freedoms is that those wanting a license could go to a number of other locations and get the license. It appears they wanted to cause a problem and force action by a government entity. Expressing our religious beliefs should never be subject to arrest as in the example of this county clerk. We as a country need to start fighting back when attacks on rights under the Constitution are threatened.

Some say that refusal to issue marriage license in this situation violates individual civil liberties but no one says anything about violating the civil rights of the county clerk. There have been a number of individuals and support groups that feel she has every right to make this decision and I agree. Exercising or expressing our religious beliefs is a principle embedded in the character of our country but there are individuals and groups who want to curtail or restrict this basic freedom. In addition the philosophy of our federal government in contradiction to the Constitution has been a support resource to accomplish or attempt to accomplish the goals of these individuals or groups.

The Supreme Court makes many decisions but it does not mean that our government can take their decisions one step further. The decision that individuals who want to marry individuals of the same sex does not mean that those who on grounds of their religious beliefs must push those feelings aside. There are many issues on the table this election year but the freedoms we have under the Constitution though in some cases may not be directly connected they are also indirectly connected. The issues and in some cases the solutions being presented is all about honoring the Constitution and getting government out of our lives and let us make our own decisions not make them for us.

Expressing and exercising our religious beliefs is a critical aspect of our country. We as a country do not condemn individuals or groups if they do not believe and they should interfere without beliefs and the exercise of them. The philosophy of our federal government has become one of policy rather than of law and the Constitution. The activities and decisions being made by the Executive Branch and in some cases Congress are not in agreement with the responsibilities of the federal government as reference in Article 10. It states that responsibilities not specifically identified as a federal government responsibility are left to the states but this aspect has been ignored to a large degree by the federal government. There is a saying if you someone an inch they will take a mile. The more power or freedom we give to the government the more they want.

The situation with the Kentucky clerk must not stand for if individuals, groups or even the government win in this instance what other freedoms we have may be in danger. We have seen examples of attacks on the second amendment and our right to bear arms. We have also seen other examples through decisions being made to impose the current philosophy of the Executive Department and Congress on the American people even if they do not want what they are pushing. This election year is critical in addressing the path on which our country is headed. Government has become too big and overbearing with the laws, regulations and executive orders. The American public is fed up with the current function and decisions of government. This is evidenced by public opinion polls indicating how dissatisfied voters are with our decisions being made in Washington. Voters appear to be looking for someone who is not part of the political establishment or have no political experience. There may be a big shakeup in Washington after the next election and the leaders in both houses and those who consider themselves the establishment may be on the outside looking in. Let us hope the rights individuals are elected to serve us after the next election. Let us bring back the Constitution as the bedrock of laws and regulations to be created after the next election. We need a smaller government one that serves the people not the people serving the government which is now the case.