US county wants God’s mercy after gay marriage ruling

In this Sept. 14, 2015 file photo, Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis makes a statement to the media at the front door of the Rowan County Judicial Center in Morehead, Ky. On Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, the Vatican distanced Pope Francis from Kim Davis, the focal point in the gay marriage debate in the U.S., saying she was one of dozens of people the pope greeted in the U.S. and that their Sept. 24 encounter at the Vatican’s embassy in Washington “should not be considered a form of support of her position.” Davis, an Apostolic Christian, spent five days in jail for defying a series of federal court orders to issue same-sex marriage licenses after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage across the country. AP Photo

MARYVILLE, Tennessee, United States—A U.S. county will consider a resolution asking God for mercy as it is forced to comply with the Supreme Court ruling that effectively legalized gay marriage nationwide.

The resolution says Blount County in the southern state of Tennessee must comply with the ruling by issuing and recognizing marriage licenses for same-sex couples. But the resolution asks state officials including the governor and attorney general to protect “natural marriage” from “lawless” court opinions and defend moral standards.

It also appeals directly to God.

“We adopt this resolution before God that He pass us by in His Coming Wrath and not destroy our County as He did Sodom and Gomorrah,” the resolution states.

The resolution was proposed by Blount County Commissioner Karen Miller, who did not immediately return a call and email from The Associated Press on Tuesday morning.

Gwen Schablik is a Blount County resident who is active in the gay-rights organization Tennessee Equality Project. She said residents she has spoken with find the resolution embarrassing.

“I’m saddened that this resolution was introduced and definitely shocked that it was introduced in my county,” she said.

Schablik said she expects that as many as 200 people will attend the county’s agenda committee meeting Tuesday night to voice their opposition to the resolution.

“Even people who consider themselves very religious are speaking out against it,” Schablik said.

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