It took a House and Senate override to do it, but Kentucky can finally celebrate the enactment of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The bill, whose sponsor was a state Democrat, cruised to the simple majority it needed to overturn Governor Steve Beshear's veto. Under the law, men and women of faith can no longer be threatened for acting out their conscience on issues of moral principle. In the end, Gov. Beshear, who was under intense pressure from the Left, caved to the false argument that Christians would use the law to somehow discriminate against homosexuals.
In fact, the exact opposite is true! This law was necessary--not because homosexuals were vulnerable to harassment--but because Christians are. As we've seen in small businesses and faith-based groups across the country, the Left's totalitarian tactics continue to trump Americans' First Amendment rights. Everyone from wedding cake bakers to high school teachers should be free to express their beliefs without fear of retribution.
33 comments
Oh, won't somebody think of the poor Christians?? They are such a disenfranchised group, they have no voice and nobody ever pays them any mind. Protect the bigots and the ignorant! They are endangered species. Hopefully.
Really, are these people going to support those who cite religious Christian values as an excuse for racism or other non-GLBT-related bigotry? Because it's not like that has never happened...
"...high school teachers should be free to express their beliefs without fear of retribution..."
Really? Because one of your arguments against gay marriage is that gay teachers will start expressing their beliefs.
On the upside, it'll just make it easier to identify the homophobic bigots, and know who not to do business with. You may not fear legal retribution, but we can still hit you where it hurts-in the cash till. No law can force anyone to purchase your goods and services.
Kentucky wants to be known as the Bigot Capital of the US, or what?
So, if my religion holds that all Churches should be turned into nightclubs, you can't stop me, because I must be free to express my belief without fear of retribution?
If you refuse to do business with black people, tall people, female people or gay people, you ARE discriminating, and you deserve to be punished accordingly.
You already have the constitutional right to say that you don't like gay people, regardless of reason. What you don't have the right to, is to not be called a bigot when you act like a bigot. Freedom of speech works both ways, ya know.
"Under the law, men and women of faith can no longer be threatened for acting out their conscience on issues of moral principle."
So we can legally lynch niggers again?
Praise the Lord!
"WAAAAH! We're being persecuted because we're not allowed to persecute people!"
Just for the record, Kentucky is home to the Creation Museum and the Noah's Ark theme park which is being built in part with public tax dollars.
Enjoy it while you can because the minute somebody attempts to test this law the courts are going to smash it to a million little pieces.
I'll award bonus points if Muslims use your own law against you.
State congresses can pass any law they flipping want but it doesn't make the law constitutional or enforceable.
So, "spare the rod, spoil the child" is now an acceptable defence for child abuse in Kentucky? Parents can't be held accountable for denying medical treatments while waiting for God to heal their child? Parents can kill their children with impunity as long as they believe they are beating the demons out of them? Or does this only apply to your dream of discrimiating against gays? Good idea, TP.
The intent of the US constitution and our founding fathers was that while there would be religious freedom for all, neither the federal nor state governments, would have the authority to enact and otherwise pass legislation, that would impose any ideologically derived notion upon the larger populace. The constitution guarantees equality and freedom to all, regardless of minority-based prejudice and discrimination.
The nature of progressivism is such that it cannot be stopped. This causes many to become fearful, and as a result of a corruption of the intention of the constitution, many have ignorantly pursued and passed into law unconstititionally, a plethora of laws which wrongly impose ideological precepts upon those who are legally, via the constitution, protected from them.
Case in point being the inevitable passing of a US constitutional amendment granting homosexuals all of the rights afforded to heterosexuals under the law. This is something the constitution already guarantees; however, the ideological ignorant (such as yourself), have sought to protect your religious freedom (even though it its in no way in any danger-other than, of course, the inevitable societal alleviation of ignorance and irrational fear via intellectual growth).
Continued...
You fear the loss of a power you technically never had to begin with. The US constitution guarantees you religious freedom-to worship and practice as you see fit under the protection and guidance of applicable laws. This will never change. What will change is your misguided stranglehold upon the constitutional freedoms and rights of everyone else.
You can quote all of the biblical scripture that you want to, and I gladly will educate you as to its true meaning-its literal meaning that is, and why it is that you are wrong on virtually all of your ignorantly derived prejudices, stereotypes, and misgivings, etc. In turn, I will alleviate your ignorance, which will instigate you hopefully to support both your religious freedom but that of our US constitution.
Until then, you are an idiot.
Continued...
You fear the loss of a power you technically never had to begin with. The US constitution guarantees you religious freedom-to worship and practice as you see fit under the protection and guidance of applicable laws.this will never change. What will change is you're misguided stranglehold upon the constitutional freedoms and rights of everyone else.
You can quote and biblical scripture that you want to, and I gladly will educate you as to its true meaning-its literal meaning and why it is that you are wrong on virtually all of your ignorantly derived prejudices, stereotypes, misgivings. In turn, I will alleviate your ignorance, which will instigate you hopefully to sport both your religious freedom but that of our US constitution.
Until then, you are an idiot.
Everyone from wedding cake bakers to high school teachers should be free to express their beliefs without fear of retribution.
They already are. They are not free to discriminate against paying customers. I foresee this bill will have a short lifespan when some judge looks down from the bench and says, "Are you people really that ignorant?"
I have must have missed the bombings of bakeries and the lynchings of high school teachers. I am sure this will all be sorted out in the courts.
@UHM
They do this for the same reason they pass laws forbidding federal officials from implementing Obamacare. It's grandstanding.
Gosh, I hope there isn't a "religion" out there that mandated people like Tony here should be "outed" as thieves and pedophiles.
Because it's now illegal to threaten them into silence.
Kentucky has passed a law rendering racial discrimination in employment, housing, public and private education, etc., legally permissible? Way to turn back the clock...
of course the fact that about next week someone will use the law to discriminate, it will be challenged and it will be struck down, is something people in Kentucky are willing to pay for.
Or haven't they figured that out yet?
"This law was necessary--not because homosexuals were vulnerable to harassment--but because Christians are."
Yeah, those poor Christians, members of the majority religion in the United States that has the most political and social clout.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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