Posted on 03/31/2015 12:08:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Last week, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a state version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which prevents the government from forcing people of faith to violate their religious beliefs.
Nineteen other states and the federal government have similar laws that protect religious liberty.
Pence and state lawmakers should have been cheered for their defense of human and constitutional rights.
Instead, they’ve been lambasted by business leaders, celebrities, Seattle’s mayor, and the NCAA, some of whom have threatened the state with losses of tens of millions of dollars in business.
According to critics, Pence’s signature is the equivalent of state-supported discrimination against gays.
However, it is same-sex activists who have engaged in state-sponsored discrimination. In Colorado, Vermont, California, and many other states, Christian business owners who serve gay customers but do not wish to participate in same-sex ceremonies are being forced out of their livelihoods. Bakers, photographers, printers, wedding planners, and bed and breakfast owners have been subjected to government-sponsored prejudice because of their religious beliefs.
It is therefore hypocritical for gay activists to target Indiana with such heated rhetoric.
But perhaps more importantly, their accusations are based on a misunderstanding of both religious liberty and the RFRA itself.
First, religious liberty is not an issue for any government to be involved with except to defend. Per the U.S. Constitution, the government must protect religious liberty unless the rights of others are impinged, as in the case of murder, rape, or other violations of the human person.
This brings us to the second accusation against Pence and Indiana lawmakers: that the state’s RFRA is anti-gay. However, more than two decades of court decisions show otherwise — and prove unquestionably that RFRA laws are about religious freedom.
For instance, the federal RFRA was cited last year in arguments against the Obama administration’s mandate that corporations and non-profit religious groups insure abortion drugs and contraceptives, and the Amish have used the RFRA to oppose building regulations.
In short, the overheated rhetoric from opponents of Indiana’s RFRA is based on an ignorance of both legal history and what the law itself actually does.
Pence attempted to address these misconceptions on Sunday in a conversation with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. Asked whether the law would allow carte blanche denial of services to gays and lesbians, Pence countered that RFRAs merely provide recourse to courts.
“[I]f there is a government action or a law that an individual believes impinges on their religious liberty, they have the opportunity to go to court, just as The Religious Freedom Restoration Act that Bill Clinton signed allowed them, go to court and the court would evaluate the circumstance under the standards articulated in this act,” said Pence.
“That’s all it is. And when you see these headlines about…a license to discriminate in Indiana…it is a red herring,” he added. “This isn’t about disputes between individuals, it’s about government overreach.”
Additionally, RFRAs across America correctly put the burden of proof on the government to show that whatever policy is being challenged is the least coercive measure to accomplish what the law describes as “a compelling state interest.”
Certainly, laws restricting property rights and the rights of religious organizations — like so-called “non-discrimination” laws related to same-sex relationships, and the Obama administration’s contraception mandate — are far from the least coercive measures to accomplish these non-compelling government goals.
As is typical, however, nuance didn’t make it into most of the media’s coverage of the backlash against Pence. Apparently, it’s more acceptable to bash Christians who are trying to protect religious freedom for all people – whether they are Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Christians, or atheists — than point out the militant, government-enforced discrimination popular among many left-wing activists.
In a tweet bashing Indiana’s RFRA, former CNN host Larry King declared, “This is 2015,” and called the bill “ridiculous.”
King is right. It is ridiculous that states are being forced to turn to RFRAs to safeguard the right of Christians to practice their faith in the land of the free.
- John-Henry Westen is a co-founder of Voice of the Family, an influential worldwide coalition of pro-life and pro-family groups, and of LifeSiteNews.com, the world's largest pro-life and pro-family daily news website.
Never have so many ignorant been so manipulated by so few on a mission to destroy the very foundations of our civilization.
True. One can only assume that we are in the End Times. There is no other conclusion that could be reached.
Pence's public performance is pretty lame on this.
He and others get on TV and fail to point out the distinction between discriminating against people and discriminating against certain actions or specific activities.
('Does a Jewish caterer have to serve Chopped liver to a Nazi convention? If not is that discriminating against Germans?')
That puts them (us) exactly where libs want them (us), that we want businesses discriminating against gays because we hate gays
I am sure there are many here who are thinking “I sure do”, but that is a losing position.
” He and others get on TV and fail to point out the distinction between discriminating against people and discriminating against certain actions or specific activities.
(’Does a Jewish caterer have to serve Chopped liver to a Nazi convention? If not is that discriminating against Germans?’)
That puts them (us) exactly where libs want them (us), that we want businesses discriminating against gays because we hate gays”
This cowardice will do untold damage to our cause. Wish I never heard of this coward.
This would be the part where leaders are nuts, runningamuck, law is used for bad instead of good, man is absorbed in himself and his tools and his advancements.
Maybe,, saw a piece that says men are less virile than ever.
Where’d that come from? From what we eat, see or breathe?
Ya never know.
Hopefully he will stay away from illegal immigration,
imagine him signing a bill to deny illegals benefits then under pressure saying that the bill wasn't supposed to discriminate against *ANYONE* not even illegals(err 'undocumented Americans' to be PC) , and asking the GOP to pass a new bill that removes everything inside the first bill.
> According to critics, Pence’s signature is the equivalent of state-supported discrimination against gays.
So instead they can force me to do something I don’t want to do; like force me to bake them a cake or take pics of their sodomite behavior. That’s discrimnating against me. Why don’t I get to claim it? Oh yeah i’m being punished for being straight. Double standard ba$tard$.
See how that works?
I was thinking exactly the same thing about the illegals. Mercy!
” So instead they can force me to do something I don’t want to do; like force me to bake them a cake or take pics of their sodomite behavior. That’s discrimnating against me. Why don’t I get to claim it? Oh yeah i’m being punished for being straight. Double standard ba$tard$.
See how that works?”
B T T T
It shouldn’t even be about religious freedom but freedom period. If I’m a business owner I should be able to do business with whomever I choose and not do business with those I don’t want to.
If I say “no gays” or “no redheads” or “no bikers” or “no kids” or whatever on the front of my business then people are free to organize a boycott against my business and I take the chance of going out of business. That should be MY CHOICE.
Say, whatever happened to “my choice”?
I guess it’s good that he’s (apparently) not going to run for President.
“’Does a Jewish caterer have to serve Chopped liver to a Nazi convention?”
Here is how they respond:
“You are comparing being gay with being a NAZI? How DARE you! This is the type of HATRED and bigotry we are up against.”
After watching Pence get his head handed to him today NONE of them are going to follow Indiana’s lead.
HAHA , good point!
Nazi's were against free-speech and for the government telling businesses what they must do, gay's are nothing like ......... I just forgot my point, sorry..
It would be ironic if he signed this bill to score brownies with GOP primary voters for a POTUS run.
Good news :He self destructed early.
It’s crazy.
How long will it be before the emboldened Left and their media minions declare natural heterosexual relationships discriminatory and hateful?
I recently moved to Indiana, and today made my first political engagements with a local radio station and the local chamber of commerce on their Facebook pages. Both proudly and self-righteously oppose the law. I asked them if they had read the law and if they could explain how the law allows discrimination. I have read the law and I don’t see it. Neither of them has answered my question.
It doesn’t matter, if you actually read the Bill, the Bill doesn’t even mention homosexuals at all, however, TPTB stir up the fervor because they want the right to sue all businesses and religion out of business. The same bill says I can’t force a Jew to serve me pork, or force a Muslim to serve me booze, it’s important to mention those points, but the main media channels never will, you can scream all you want, but aside from Townhall and the alternative outlets, all that the MSM will call it is homosexual discrimination.
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