Posted on 02/26/2015 3:16:07 PM PST by ilovesarah2012
The US supreme court ruled last summer that the national retail chain Hobby Lobby has the right to impose the religious beliefs of its owners on the companys employees by refusing to cover contraception, as required by federal law. The courts ruling rested on the premise that complying with the law violated the business religious freedom.
Since then though, in other contexts, lower courts and commissions have been stepping up and ruling against companies that try to use the freedom of religion argument as a pretext for discrimination against LGBT people and women.
Religious freedom is integral to this country. It must - and will be protected. But what is being increasingly recognized is that religious freedom gives us all a right to our beliefs. This right, though, like all our rights, has limits. Those limits come into play when acting on our beliefs harms others.
Religious liberty cant be used by businesses to turn away lesbian and gay couples seeking to celebrate a relationship, or by religiously associated nonprofits who treat women employees like second-class citizens by denying contraceptive coverage. The promise of equality is not real or robust if it has exceptions.
Just last week, a court in Washington found a florist in violation of that states anti- discrimination law after the store refused to provide flowers for a gay couples wedding. The owner of the store said serving the couple would have violated her faith by signaling approval for the wedding. The court said shes welcome to have her beliefs. But those beliefs dont give her the right to turn people away simply because theyre gay. The court also concluded that referring the couple to a non-discriminating business doesnt cut it. Such a result, would defeat the purpose of combating discrimination and allow discrimination in public
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I believe my hatred of Satanism unduly burdens Satanists.
Just think: if you refuse to bake a cake for a Gay Wedding, you can lose your freedom, your business and your property.
But if you cross our southern border illegally, they’ll give you all those things. :)
“Religious liberty cant be used by businesses to turn away lesbian and gay couples seeking to celebrate a relationship, or by religiously associated nonprofits who treat women employees like second-class citizens by denying contraceptive coverage. The promise of equality is not real or robust if it has exceptions.”
Equality does not depended upon the actions of others or it is not equality but entitlement.
You are of an Equal right to act according to your believes as anyone else but you are of ZERO right to demand someone else (including your employer) act on your believes.
To demand someone else render services that run contrary to their believe or even just their free will is tyranny NOT equality!
Equality ends at the exact same place as your own personal will & actions.
Oh those hideous hateful Hobby Lobbyists. They want you to spend $15 a month at Walmart if you want an abortion poison.
They key is to say you’re doing it because of your Muslim beliefs. Then they’ll leave you alone.
Except Christians. They are fair game.
They are the new n*****S.
What's wrong with this picture?
The Guardian is such a Leftist rag. Right out of the box it lies. The SC decision does not mean Hobby Lobby can force its religious beliefs on its employees. It means the employees cannot force Hobby Lobby to pay for their beliefs, that if they want contraception, they can pay for it. Hobby Lobby is not saying they can’t purchase their own contraception. Leftists are such liars.
Notice the limits go one way...on religious freedom.
The correct position is not imposing your sexuality on another. If a business doesn’t want to celebrate it find one who will. Thats respecting freedom and equality.
Food for Thought:
supreme Court says:
complying with the law violated the business religious freedom.
and the Lower Courts are ignoring the supreme Court decision in other areas regarding religious freedom and the homosexual community
So Can’t Lower Courts begin Prosecuting and Jailing females for having an abortion against state law, and just IGNORE the supreme Court the same way??
“So Cant Lower Courts begin Prosecuting and Jailing females for having an abortion against state law, and just IGNORE the supreme Court the same way??”
We may be in the early stages of a complete collapse of society.
The 1st amendment, freedom to peacefully assemble clause, protects my right to do business and to NOT due business with whoever I want.
kinda my point, anarchy from the top down
As mentioned in related threads, the only issues that the states have amended the Constitution to expressly protect concerning discrimination issues are voting rights as evidenced by the 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th Amendments. (Note that these amendments impose limits on state and federal government powers and not on private businesses.)
Otherwise, and with all due respect to mom & pop, the main reason that Christian-hating agents of the state and judges are getting away with harassing business owners who do discriminate against employees for religious reasons is that the parents of these business owners probably didnt make sure that their children were taught about 10th Amendment-protected state powers versus constitutionally unprotected rights.
Consequently, their business-owner children are not able to argue that state agents and judges who harass them are violating Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, Section 1 prohibiting the states from using constitutionally unprotected rights to unreasonably abridge constitutionally enumerated rights, the 1st Amendment-protected freedom of religious expression in these cases.
Way too many people believe freedoms in the constitution are to be enforced everywhere. They don’t believe I can order someone not to speak about Obama in my house and make them leave if they do.
I do not believe the constitution says I have to do business with someone I don’t want to do business with. And before anyone brings up blacks, I’ve heard some conservative and even liberal blacks say “If they don’t want my business, I’ll go somewhere else.”
Do they cover contraceptives for their male employees?
No.
Then the female employees are being treated just like the male employees. How is that treating them like second class citizens?
When everyone has “RIGHTS” no one has rights.
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