Michigan House Passes Religious 'License To Discriminate' Bill

[wolf39us]

What in the actual fuck?

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/breaking_michigan_house_passes_religious_license_to_discriminate_bill

The Michigan House of Representatives, led by Speaker Jase Bolger (photo, above, left, with Gov. Rick Snyder,) just passed a bill that would allow discrimination to become sanction by the state. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, akin to one that made nationwide headlines in Arizona but was vetoed, appears to merely force the government to step aside if a person's "deeply-held religious beliefs" mandate they act, or not act, in a certain manner.

Supporters of these bills claim they allow people of faith to exercise their religion without government interference, but in reality, they are trojan horses, allowing rampant discrimination under the guise of religious observance.

...

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Yup, pretty much covered in a different post, but this is the face of the GOP. Open and blatant discrimination under cover of religious freedom and I don't imagine atheist will be excluded if not eventually outright imprisoned at some point for blasphemy. Brace yourself.

[Jason78]

Oh that is just fantastic!  I can't wait to see how this turns out!

[Munch]

The other day I saw a forum write a post about the problems in the uk relating to the hierarchy and the underprivileged. We might have occasional problems here, but seeing the kind of batshit insane trolling laws some american states have, it makes whatever issues we have here seem like spilled milk.

This is disgusting, I give it a few months, and every religious evangelical organisation will not only be targeting gay groups and other minorities with no protection, but I can guarantee more of these shit-stains on the earths crust will slither there way to Michigan, because they know it will be a place they can hate and discriminate without fear of reprisal. 

[Mermaid]

holy mother of fuck.

[Munch]

Michigan, America's own little slice of Russia

[Berati]

Yup, pretty much covered in a different post, but this is the face of the GOP. Open and blatant discrimination under cover of religious freedom and I don't imagine atheist will be excluded if not eventually outright imprisoned at some point for blasphemy. Brace yourself.

Brought up and ignored on another thread.
I might as well try again to point our who came up with this horrible nonsense.

Uhmmm... how about the fact that the RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) was passed in 1993 under Clinton and introduced as a bill by Democrat Chuck Schumer? All the republicans are doing is using the loop hole that Democrats created in an effort to grant special status to every religion but christianity... to grant special status to christianity as well.  Liberals can't see that granting special status to one religion grants them to all, not to mention that religious ideology should get NO special status at all, just as intended by the constitution.

Religious "freedom" is a blind spot for liberals as they continually conflate race and religion and attempt to fight racism by supporting any  religious belief but Christianity, apparently not seeing where that leads.

Believe it or not, the ACLU strongly supported the RFRA when it was passed federally. Now that christians are attempting to use it's flawed notions I hope they they finally wake up to its ridiculousness. Religion and religious beliefs can never, ever, nevereverever be used to trump secular law. EVER!

It's the heart of separation of church and state that is under attack and liberals missed the boat by trying to be all nice and fair to "oppressed" religious minorities.
In the case of the RFRA it was mostly Native religious practices they were trying to put on a special pedestal. Liberals have done the same thing in the UK with Sharia law.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10716844/Islamic-law-is-adopted-by-British-legal-chiefs.html
Thank you liberals. 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Reminded me of this story from 2013.

KKK wins lawsuit against bakery for discrimination

A Georgia court has ruled in favor of Marshall Saxby, the Grand Wizard of a local KKK chapter, in a lawsuit stemming from two years ago when a local bakery denied him service.

The three judge panel concluded unanimously that the bakery had violated civil rights laws by discriminating against Saxby when they refused to sell him a cake for his organization’s annual birthday party.

Elaine Bailey, who owns Bailey Bakeries, refused to bake a cake for the ceremony because it violated her religious beliefs.

Saxby filed the lawsuit claiming that Bailey’s refusal of service was discriminatory against his religious beliefs.

The case is similar to the recent decision in New Mexico where a court has ruled that a photographer discriminated against a gay couple for refusing to provide them service.

Bailey said in a prepared statement, “it’s a sad day when bigots have to be treated equally before the law. If they can discriminate against people, then surely I cannot be forced to support their beliefs by providing them services against my will.”

[Aroura33]

Not sure why some people would be obsessed with pointing out that liberals came up with this idea in order to protect minority religions.  Yes, let's blame the people who thought up something to help people, and not the asshats who took that idea and twisted it into a way to allow MORE discrimination.

Blame Einstein for Hiroshima, too?

[Munch]

Not sure why some people would be obsessed with pointing out that liberals came up with this idea in order to protect minority religions.  Yes, let's blame the people who thought up something to help people, and not the asshats who took that idea and twisted it into a way to allow MORE discrimination.

Blame Einstein for Hiroshima, too?

Remember though, these are people once saw black people as slaves and took one passage from a book of desert fairy tales as a sound reason for killing people based on that sexuality. Theres as much reason and logic in these people as honey boo boo's existence.

[Berati]

Not sure why some people would be obsessed with pointing out that liberals came up with this idea in order to protect minority religions

Because you have to put the blame where it lies.
And BTW, "protect minority religions"?? Religions don’t get the protection that racial minorities get. You’re making the same mistake that has been pointed out often. You are conflating race and ideology.
Religions are NOT people and don't get that kind of protection EVEN IF THE ADHERENTS ARE MOSTLY FROM ONE ETHNIC GROUP. It's very important to understand this last point.

Yes, let's blame the people who thought up something to help people, and not the asshats who took that idea and twisted it into a way to allow MORE discrimination.

Actually, YES, lets blame the people who’s good intentions were misplaced and they fucked up with a really stupid law that lets religion trump secular law. Conflating race and religion is an error that liberals make and not something to be proud of. Religions don’t need and shouldn't get government help even if it’s only a small group of believers of one color or another. 

I'm not trying to pick on you, and I applaud you as the only one to have the guts to try and defend the indefensible but...
Liberals are not all atheists so I can see why the theists among them want to put religion up on a pedestal. But it’s really frustrating to see liberal atheists make the same stupid mistake. Thus my annoyance.

It's liberals in the UK pushing to allow Sharia courts to overrule secular courts and it’s liberals in the USA who opened this Pandora’s box all on the mistaken notion of protecting minorities.
Own your mistakes.   

The error of putting religion on a pedestal is not a liberal vs conservative thing as they both do it for different reasons. I couldn't ask for a more perfect example than this.

[Berati]

Remember though, these are people once saw black people as slaves and took one passage from a book of desert fairy tales as a sound reason for killing people based on that sexuality. Theres as much reason and logic in these people as honey boo boo's existence.

Huh? You lost me on this one.

[Munch]

Huh? You lost me on this one.

in short, there is no reason or logic with these fucktard conservative evangelicals.

[stromboli]

Why is it that loopholes are always big enough to drive a convoy of semis through?

(picture for reference)

[AllPurposeAtheist]

The reason both parties pander to religions is for the voting block and yes, liberals are guilty of it especially with the black churches which is tied to the civil rights movement. It's time for progressives, not liberals to cut the strings with the churches and say, fine. Join us if you want and you're more than welcome, but our interest is in every citizen and not just your minority group. Most liberals think that progressives are cut of the same cloth and to an extent many are, but progressives cannot rely on a voting block that doesn't vote.