Kim Davis, the headline-grabbing county clerk from Kentucky, claims to be a born-again Christian and has cited that as one reason why she must ignore her sworn oath of office and must refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

My mother, a notary public here in Maine for almost 40 years, is also a born-again Christian. She takes her oath of office very seriously. She has officiated hundreds of weddings.

Her couples have been of every religion imaginable, and many have been of no religion at all. She’s married couples who’ve never been married before, and couples who’ve been divorced several times.

She hasn’t performed a same-sex wedding ceremony, but only because she hasn’t yet been asked. She would be happy to do it, and I know she would do it with the same love and respect she has shown toward all of her couples.

Kim Davis’ claims to the contrary, being a born-again Christian does not conflict with one’s ability to uphold an oath of office.

My mother, and hundreds of other notaries and clerks like her, are proof of that. Davis and her supporters do a disservice to the millions of Christians all over the country who perform their jobs without discriminating and without breaking the law.

If Davis still feels she cannot reconcile her oath of office with her religion, she has a very simple remedy at her disposal: She can resign. Conflict resolved.

Meanwhile, we Mainers are fortunate to have so many clerks and notaries who uphold their oaths of office, doing so with respect and professionalism. I offer them my sincere thanks, and I extend a warm invitation to the good people of Kentucky: Get married in Maine.

Adrian Dowling

South Portland

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