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“… or heterosexual trade only"

… or “Heterosexual Trade Only”

UPDATE: On February 26, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the bill that would have legalized discrimination for “religious reasons.”

In criminal investigation we look for patterns. Whether we’re dealing with serial crimes, past behavior, proximity of crime scenes to each other or any number of other factors, patterns give us a bigger and more comprehensive understanding than any single fact or event.

And on the public policy scene, we are seeing a pattern emerging that threatens to send us back to the bad old days of intolerance and hate.

Last week we wrote about Republicans in the  Kansas House of Delegates who wanted to make it okay and legal for any merchant or entity in the hospitality business to refuse service to anyone who offends their religious convictions.

A similar bill just passed the Arizona House of Representatives allowing business owners to deny service to gay and lesbian customers if homosexuality violates their religious beliefs. This bill came up last year in the same body, and to her credit, controversial Governor Jan Brewer vetoed it. We can only hope she does so again.

As reported by CNN, “The bill is being pushed by the Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative group opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage. The group has justified the measure on grounds that the proposal protects people against increasingly activist federal courts.”

Like the courts that said states had to integrate their schools? Like the courts that said places of public accommodation must be open and available to all? Like the courts that said those who murdered civil rights activists and were let off the hook by local juries could still be tried for federal civil rights violations? Yeah, you can see how we have to protect ourselves against those activist courts.

At present, three other state legislatures besides Kansas and Arizona are considering such “religious freedom” bills.

What was the Civil Rights Movement all about? What were the marches and sit-ins and bus boycotts and nonviolent demonstrations and voter registration drives all about? As a nation and as individual states, do we really want to turn back the clock toward greater intolerance and discrimination?

The religious beliefs argument is bogus – plain and simple. It is simply an attempted legal justification for not serving people you don’t like or don’t approve of.

Despite the sacred First Amendment, there are plenty of instances in which you can’t say whatever you want or practice your religion any way you want. A Muslim is not allowed to have multiple wives in this country. A Christian Scientist is not allowed to withhold medical care from a child. An orthodox Jew cannot demand sexually segregated swimming times at a public pool. The list goes on and on. You don’t like same-sex couples? Too bad. Southern bigots in 1960 didn’t like black people eating next to them at the Woolworth lunch counter.

What’s next – you don’t have to serve Brad and Angelina because your religious beliefs disapprove of having children out of wedlock?

And yes, when we are talking about intolerance, we are seeing a pattern.

Last week, at the venerable University of Mississippi, a noose was hung around the neck of a statue of James Meredith, the first African American to enroll in Old Miss.

And conservative rocker Ted Nugent had to apologize publicly for calling President Obama a “subhuman mongrel.” And we all know what he meant by that – the same thing slave owners meant when they justified keeping an entire race in bondage.

Yes, Nugent apologized after many of his more upright conservative brethren got on his ass, but what is distressing is that we live in a society now where some people feel comfortable using that kind of terminology in the public arena in the first place. I, for one, didn’t much care for George W. Bush as president and was even more outraged by Dick Cheney. But they were the President and Vice President of the United States and, as such, were entitled to my respect, if not my approval.

I guess what this pattern comes down to, is the absence of civility in so much of our public discourse and interaction. Since this all started with the issue of religious belief, what could be more important than the teaching to treat others as you would have them treat you.

As the New Testament says: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

As the Qur’an states: “Woe to those… who, when they have to receive by measure from men, they demand exact full measure, but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due.”

And as Rabbi Hillel put it: “Do not unto your neighbor what you would not have him do unto you; this is the whole Law; the rest is commentary.”

Those who are quick to defend their religious beliefs would do well to keep this in mind.

5 Responses to Patterns

  1. sherry says:

    If there are no moral boundaries then anything goes, for every man is right in his own eyes. What will we be asked to tolerate next?

    http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/03/02/we-cant-prove-sex-with-children-does-them-harm-says-labour-linked-nccl/

  2. sherry says:

    Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15

    Where in the Bible do you find teachings of tolerance and acceptance of the wicked?

    God is Love but he is also a God of judgment and he will judge each person according to their deeds.

    For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

    For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world; through him might be saved.

    He that believeth on him is not condemned;
    but he that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

    And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and that men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. John 3:16-19

    Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in te doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son.
    If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
    For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 2John 1:9-11

    Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith we are sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the the Spirit of Grace? Hebrews 10:29

    And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.
    And the sea gave up the dead which were in it: and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
    And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
    And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-15

    • sherry says:

      12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
      13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
      14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
      15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

      20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
      21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
      22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
      23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
      Matthew 7:12-15 & 20-23

      There are many different demoninations of churches, each with different teachings of doctrines and traditions, but the common demoninator of all true churches of our Lord Jesus Christ, are the teachings of his birth, life, ministry, miracles, death, burial, resurrection, and of his return. The belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, The Lord of Lord and King of Kings and that he alone is worthy to be praised!

      Note: Islam does not teach these things which is why it should not be accepted the same as other religions. Beware of false prophets. (see V.15)

  3. The problem of course is what really can any law do about rudeness and ignorance? If you go to a hotel or restaurant and the people there are always rude and inhospitable are you going to take the time to report them or are you simply not going to patronize them?

  4. Cornerstone says:

    You know what? Every gay friend I ever had was Christian. I hate it that one extremist subset of fundamentalists represents themselves as representing the faith when they are only a small minority who, even in a country whose Constitution separates church and state, believe they have the right to dictate how other people live and condemn their beliefs as if they were inferior to their own and preach their personal beliefs as if they themselves were God, and not even a benevolent God but one who would punish those they believe he created.

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