The Freedom From Religion Foundation today sent a letter to the Blount County Commission in Maryville, Tenn., which is poised to consider a resolution tonight "condemning judicial tyranny and petitioning God's mercy."
Resolution 15-10-006 declares that "federal judges have once again usurped powers not delegated to them, and have violated Reason, the Rule of Law and Natural Law by purporting to strike down State laws and acts of the People recognizing and protecting Natural Marriage." The resolution is adopted "before God that He pass us by in His Coming Wrath and not destroy our County as He did Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring cities."
"If passed, this resolution would be a slap in the face to Blount County's many gay citizens, as well as to all citizens who recognize the federal and Tennessee constitutions as the supreme law of the land," wrote FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover in FFRF's letter.
"As legislators, your principal duty is to represent all citizens of Blount County, regardless of their sexual orientation or their religious or nonreligious beliefs," Grover reminded Chairman Jerome Moon and the rest of the commission. "Your oath of office is to the federal and Tennessee constitutions, not . . . to 'the moral Law of God.' "
In addition, Grover pointed out that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah "is just that, a story," and charges that Commissioner Karen Miller may as well have authored a resolution "calling for witches to stop luring children to gingerbread houses or asking the Big Bad Wolf to spare Blount County's wooden homes from his gale-force breath."
Grover called for Commissioner Miller to resign if she cannot uphold the law. "Miller may be correct that her personal religion is at odds with the Supreme Court's ruling on same sex marriage, but that does not give her or the Commission a free license to usurp the law."
"We urge the Commission to reject Miller's resolution and respect the right of all Blount County citizens to marry the partner they love, regardless of Gender," FFRF's letter concludes. "All government representatives are free to beg favor from the gods of their choice in their private time. While acting as commissioners, however, we invite you to respect the law, practice empathy and compassion for LGBTQ citizens, and concentrate on secular matters."
FFRF is a national nonprofit state/church watchdog with more than 23,000 members across the country, including nearly 300 in Tennessee.