Several years ago when I was working on the book Where’s Your Jesus Now?, my editor made the remark about one of the stories in that book: So nice of Gays to make their sins so obvious for the rest of us, isn’t it? 

The remark was meant to be sardonic, a way of highlighting the unkind attitude of some Christians. I had written a chapter in the book about how I felt the Church was missing the mark in their approach toward Gays. Needless to say the book didn’t sell well. Major Christian publishers wouldn’t stock it. My husband, bless his heart, insists to this day it’s my best book.

The remark my editor made has come back to me many times over the years, especially lately as clerks across the country make headlines about their refusal to grant marriage licenses to Gays. These clerks usually cite their religious beliefs as the reason for their stance.

Insert eye roll here.

Here’s the thing I want these county clerks to explain to me: How is it you refuse to grant marriage licenses to Gay couples because of their sin, and, yet, without hesistation you have granted marriage licenses to men who’ve beaten their wives, their children? To women who have had more sex partners than Madonna? To couples who practice the Swingers lifestyle? To men and women whose idea of sex is whipping up on one another? How many of you county clerks denying same-sex couples marriage licenses read Fifty Shades of Grey and bought your best friend a copy?  How many of you county clerks denying same-sex couples a marriage license have been divorced?  How many of you have cheated on your partners? Or granted marriage licenses to people who did?

You get my drift?

Your stand against same-sex marriage is just self-righteousness on window display . Unless you are willing to apply your judgement across the board, refusing to grant marriage licenses to all sinners, you are simply a clanging cymbal. (For reference, check out the Bible’s love chapter, I Corn. 13).

Karen Spears Zacharias is author of the fortcoming Burdy (Mercer University Press).