crfriend wrote:moonshadow wrote:
Actually, the thread was prompted from a three week old article I found where the supreme court will be hearing the "equality" case once in for all early next year. This will be the bit of federal judgement that will undoubtedly seal the deal for the far religious right to have a license to be a contrary, stick in the mud ass hole when it comes to having to breathe the same sinful air that the eternally damned breathe. Oh, and just wait until they allow churches to funnel tax deductible church contributions to political campaigns!
I was aware of that, but the continual churn of the "News Cycle" produces a very powerful "recency effect" that none of us are immune to. I'm also dreading the eventual ruling, for they almost certainly will get it wrong. The correct (can't use "right" here) solution would be to completely level the playing field for all citizens and flatly state that, "Discrimination of any kind on any grounds against anyone is hereby illegal." That'd cause a universal uproar, of course, so we're likely going to retain the current patchwork of special privileges and super-classes, possibly with some extra codification or perhaps another new super-class or two. Who knows, the Supreme Court is pretty arbitrary and random at this point as it's full of ideologs who are beholden to their beliefs and their paymasters.
You're most likely correct on your prediction, and I believe what I dread most of all is the obnoxious gloating when the far right wins another one. I brace myself for the "halo effect" of certain people who will abuse the new ruling and cite "religious freedom" to send people like us, or just anyone they take issue with on their way when many of them probably don't even belong to a church and only loosely call themselves "Christian", rather are just prejudiced and want to be an ass hole to people that bother them. Again, this is not such a big issue in business, most small businesses have treated me well as have those in larger ones, (also a conservative supreme court is likely to side with the business rather than it's employee(s), thus if a business says "
all are welcome here", then employees will have to do their job or find another one) but my concern is when it lands on public employees when you are trying to conduct mandatory business with the government. Since the head of the government is deeply evangelical (at least in title), then they (the government) will certainly allow it's employees to deny service to anyone the employee has a problem with.
It's happening in Richlands Virginia with the New Age store (denying a fortune telling license because it offends local churches), such stories are common, especially across the U.S. south when it comes to non-Christians practicing their faith. It's practically illegal to be Muslim around here. Blue islands like the ones you and OldSalt live on will not feel it as hard as us in the south will. But getting back to the store in Richlands, if the town can stall the case another year, they might actually win by citing "religious freedom" on behalf of the town clerk who issues the licenses. The best part is, (I think) the
town clerk is hired by the council, NOT elected, so he/she can't even be voted out!
But lets just back up and look at the big picture... this ruling will allow Christians to play God... plain and simple. It allows them to be the judge of everyone and decide for themselves what is "right" and what is "wrong". Get ready....
And to touch on abortion lightly, we have the abortion issue to thank for all of this. And that's why I loathe the topic and I STRONGLY suspect that BOTH sides are keeping that fire going intentionally to work on the bigger agenda behind the scenes (that being the removal of all other rights). Politicians don't give a DAMN about life or fetuses, or what have you. Like I said before, it's a very hot button topic that strikes at the core of religious values vs a woman's right over her body. The two will always be in perpetual conflict, the powers that be know that, and that's why it's all you see on bill boards and bumper stickers...
It's BULLSH!T!
GMO's, cigarettes, war, preventable disease (upon those without health care coverage), diet, and a whole host of other, perfectly legal things and practices cause more deaths than abortions, yet all are perfectly legal! Restaurants are required by law to put a silly "calorie count" next to every single menu item, but nobody has to label genetically modified foods... figure that one out! I get tickled when I see this popular sticker on people's car "
PRO GOD - PRO GUN - PRO LIFE" Each three are in conflict with the other two. Guns have one purpose.. to kill, to take away life, be it an attacker, an animal, or what have you. I'm not saying guns are evil and bad (I myself support the 2nd), but I'm simply saying that the job of a gun is to
take life. As for using a gun for protection, well if one truly had faith in "God", then you wouldn't need a gun. I ask them, "
did the Israelites need firearms to escape Egypt?" No, they only had their faith in "God" to provide, the story goes that that faith also provided them with food among other necessities. God is also in conflict with life. "God" has caused more death than all the other causes combined! And now I'm talking about mortal life not spiritual... but then again... when it comes to
abortion, we are also talking about MORTAL life.
What did I said all this was??... (scroll back up) (bullsh.....)
Anyway, none of it matters because.... ABORTION. That's all everyone talks about. Abortion got Trump elected, and thus landed us an evangelical high court. Most people even around here support many progressive policies, social health care, government assistance, anti-war, public education, infrastructure, the list goes on and on, but these deeply religious people just can't in good conscience vote for a politician that openly supports what they perceive to be "murdering babies".
Many don't realize that southwestern Virginia used to be fiercely democrat back 30 plus years ago. These days, you can't even get a democrat to bother running in a local election. What changed? Simply put, the line upon which side you fell on came down to one topic, abortion. If you were pro-life, you are a republican, if you are pro-choice, you are a democrat.
What a shame... and that's why I'll be glad when it's finally outright banned so maybe... just maybe.. we can move on. Besides, while they may be illegal, they will never be stopped, unless they also ban wire hangers. Everyone ought to know by now that just because something is illegal doesn't mean it ceases... it just moves underground.