The U.S. Supreme Court just turned its back on religious freedom — again.
On Monday, the Court refused to hear the appeal of Kim Davis, the former Kentucky clerk who stood up for her faith and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
Davis, an Apostolic Christian, said that signing those licenses would have violated her deeply held religious beliefs. For that conviction, she was sued, jailed, and ordered to pay over $360,000 in damages and legal fees. Her only crime? Standing by her faith.
The Supreme Court’s decision to reject her appeal means that the Obergefell ruling — which forced same-sex marriage on all 50 states — remains untouched. Conservatives had hoped the Court’s current 6–3 majority might revisit that controversial decision, especially after overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
But instead, the justices chose to look the other way.
The same Supreme Court that once recognized religious liberty as a cornerstone of the Constitution now seems content to let Christian Americans be punished for living by their convictions.
As part of her defense, Davis argued that the First Amendment should have protected her — but the lower courts disagreed. They said her refusal to issue licenses wasn’t private conduct, but “state action.” In other words, Davis had no right to act on her beliefs while serving the public.
Think about that. A government employee, jailed and fined for practicing her faith.
Justice Clarence Thomas has warned about this before. He said the Obergefell decision continues to have “ruinous consequences for religious liberty.” Justice Samuel Alito agreed. Both justices have called out how Christians are being forced to choose between their faith and their jobs.
Kim Davis made her choice. And she paid the price.
Democrats and liberal judges call that “equality.” But to millions of Americans, it looks a lot more like persecution.
As President Trump has said many times, the war on religion must end. Christians should never be treated like criminals for following God’s Word.
The question now is whether the Supreme Court will ever find the courage to stand up for believers like Kim Davis — or whether faith in America will continue to be punished by the same system that was supposed to protect it.