First, I don't care what people believe, or how they worship, as long as they don't impose their beliefs upon me.
The Constitution gives Americans the freedom to practice the religion of their choice.
It does not give religious Americans the right to use their beliefs to discriminate against people who do not share their opinions.
That's what "Freedom of Religion" laws enacted by several states, most recently in Indiana, do.
It has been argued that this act, like others of its kind, was directed at the gay community.
And the gay community reacted to it.
The gay community has been marching out of their closets for years, demanding full legal equality as human beings and taxpayers.
They weren't going to back down.
It surprised everyone.
Even straight politicians came out against Indiana's "Freedom of Religion" law.
It is teaching the Bible-thumpers that they don't have the comfort of silence from the gay community anymore. Or from sensible straight people, either.
The Bible-thumpers don't like it. They claim such protests, and political support for the protesters, violates their Constitutional right to the free practice of their religions.
Which means their right to discriminate against others on religious grounds.
Men invented god to explain what they did not understand. Then they came to worship their creation and use the crutch of religion to beat their enemies.
Much of the early history of mankind deals with inter and intra religious warfare, slaughtering opponents for the love of god.
Christians, Muslims, Jews and nearly every other religious sect have their share of guilt in this respect.
We have become only slightly more civilized since the Inquisition.
But only just slightly more.
Because "Freedom of Religion" laws legalize bigotry, giving incredibly stupid Bible-thumpers the right to discriminate against those they hate.
Hypocrites who keep babbling about love of god.
For once, I would like to applaud Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren for her opposition to Indiana's "Freedom of Religion" act.
It will have no practical effect, as it is purely symbolic.
But for a woman who claims to be religious, whose political slogan is "Believe," that took guts.
Some incredibly stupid Rochesterians are complaining that Mayor Warren has banned their travelling to Indiana.
ReplyDeleteShe hasn't.
It only involves City employees involved in official City business.
They are obviously incapable or reading and comprehending what the mayor has said.
Which says a lot about their babbling about reading the Bible.
They probably don't know what they're reading there, either.
So, those assholes who never would have thought of going to Indiana under any circumstances can go there.
The sooner the better.
And they can stay there.