title:  Federal Judge Rules ‘Christians’ Can’t Use ‘Religious Liberty’ To Deny Marriage Licenses To Gay People
text: It s almost poetic. Just after the news broke that Mike Huckabee will have to pay $25,000 for the unauthorized use of Survivor s  Eye of the Tiger  at a hate rally celebrating Kim Davis  release from jail, more news came out that has the religious Right weeping and gnashing their teeth.  A federal judge has ruled that clerks in Mississippi can not do what Kim Davis did in Kentucky   namely, use their religion as a shield behind which they can hide their bigotry as they gleefully force same-sex couples to jump through hoops and fight senseless legal battles to have their right to marry recognized.The New Civil Rights Movement reports:A federal judge has ruled clerks in Mississippi cannot cite their religious beliefs as valid reasons to recuse themselves from granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The case was argued by Roberta Kaplan, who won the historic Supreme Court DOMA case.U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeve ruled Monday afternoon, preventing the State of Mississippi from allowing HB 1523, a so-called  religious freedom  law signed by Republican Governor Phil Bryant from taking effect Friday, the AP reports. A year after the Supreme Court guaranteed marriage equality in the Obergefell decision, we are delighted that Judge Reeves reaffirmed the power of federal courts to definitively say what the United States Constitution means,  Kaplan, who contends that the  religious liberty  law violates the First Amendment separation of church and state, said of the decision.On Twitter, Kaplan promised that  today s decision was just the appetizer,  and that the  main course will be served  later this week.Thx, but today s decision was just the appetizer; main course to be served by J. Reeves later this week! @CSElive https://t.co/7o6FqFbN72  Robbie Kaplan (@kaplanrobbie) June 27, 2016I, for one, can t wait to see what happens with this. If nothing else Kim Davis is likely furiously praying for God to save her from the evil liberal agenda of equality and acceptance at this very moment   you know, just in case this precedent spreads to other states.Featured image via Getty Images/Ty Wright