and Judge McConnell, you do recall municipal judges are elected, right?

According to the bible I've seen quoted and quoted back. Separation of church and state, Judge McConnell.

Nobody is asking Judge McConnell to not go against his religious beliefs.
Since you're apparently NOT gay, you'll never be in a gay marriage.

But since Judge McConnell is a public servant. Being paid by our tax dollars,
including I assume the gay couple asking for a marriage to be performed,
then your religious beliefs end at the courtroom door.

We have a secular government. If Judge McConnell wants to have a
religious government there are other countries where he can actually
practice his religious beliefs while serving the public that pays him.

Any middle-east country comes to mind.

Fire anyone who refuses to do their job en masse!

They can't be fired.

Any Catholic who supports marriage equality and receives communion is "profaning the Eucharist". His Catholic relative ( me) is really sad for him( and pissed off at his cruelty and narrow mindedness ). I believe that nothing separates us from the love of God, especially loving other people and letting them love whom they love. I have very dear friends who attend my church that are lesbians ( We attended their wedding in another state because NY had not yet passed marriage equality) and I know my pastor feels as I do.

Churches may do as they will but governments in the US are bound by the law of the land. Good for Judge Wagner and the rest of them should be removed from their judgeships!

is not above the LAW...

Judge Wagner did what she thought was right...but the McConnell person should be dismissed as a judge immediately...

They can't be fired.

Can they go to jail or at least be fined for breaking the law?

They can be recalled or defeated at the next election. This guy has little to worry about. He is president of the Toledo NAACP. He won't be defeated.

Sorry that he probably won't be recalled, at least...

then this asshole should be stripped of his court, disbarred and so fourth. HE IS A PUBLIC SERVANT PERIOD.

I heard the refusing Judge hooked them up with the willing one. Now it's easy to get hitched in Toledo.

Judges do so much, needing help on this administrative matter is trivial to his worthiness.

And KUDOS for the cool Judge.

The guy is an elected official. He can't be fired, and apparently he won't be voted out of office.

If someone else is willing to do this, well, all right. At least gay people are getting married there. It seems like the judges are trying to handle everything without creating a huge uproar.

Do I think it is okay to be a bigot? No. But I won't change that person's mind by calling him names.

But her colleague should be out of a job. As he is elected, he should be impeached.

The law is not a matter of opinion, and no officer of the court should be allowed to try on the "aw shucks, I don't agree" line. If the judge had even the slightest integrity, he would resign if his beliefs seriously impede his execution of his office. This is a major point of principle, and the city of Toledo should not just grin and bear it.

-- Mal

If it were my once in a lifetime event, I wouldn't want someone to perform the ceremony under duress, gritting their teeth as they read the rites. A marriage is supposed to be seen as a happy occasion, not a stick in the eye to someone who doesn't "approve".

As long as there's a reliable system to ensure someone is always able to step up and act on behalf of such bigoted officials, I see no problem. Does having someone punished for their beliefs somehow make a wedding better? Eventually, I believe same sex marriage will be considered the norm -like interracial unions- and such dissenters will be virtually non-existent.

Holy rollers can be brought into the 21st century kicking and screaming, but they will arrive.

You'll never win people over by punishing them and trying to destroy their lives. You have to show that you are a better person than them.