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TexasTowelie

(116,809 posts)
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 01:14 AM Mar 2015

Georgia GOP Set to Pass Religious Exemption for Wife Beaters & Child Abusers

Republicans in Georgia are about to pass a bill that would allow businesses and individuals to openly discriminate against others and even allow for domestic abuse against wives and children, all in the name of “religious freedom.”

Senate Bill 129, Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, is one of many that are being rammed through states across the country by Republicans who are screaming that their religious freedom is in jeopardy; but Georgia’s bill is by far the worst.

The bill states that,”laws neutral toward religion may burden religious exercise as surely as laws intended to interfere with religious exercise,” and the “government shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” without a “compelling governmental interest” and by the “least restrictive means of achieving that compelling governmental interest.” It also defines religious exercise as a “practice or observance of religion, whether or not compelled by or central to a system of religious belief.”

That means that if I don’t want to serve a gay person at my restaurant because I believe being gay is an “abomination” then I don’t have to serve them. This isn’t just a possibility, it will happen if this bill makes it into law because the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Josh McKoon, wouldn’t allow any anti-discrimination amendments to be added to the bill.

Read more: http://www.occupydemocrats.com/georgia-gop-set-to-pass-religious-exemption-for-wife-beaters-child-abusers/

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Georgia GOP Set to Pass Religious Exemption for Wife Beaters & Child Abusers (Original Post) TexasTowelie Mar 2015 OP
Jesus fucking Christ this is some terrible shit. Rod Beauvex Mar 2015 #1
It will pass then it will be eventually struck down by the federal courts anotojefiremnesuka Mar 2015 #2
And taxpayer dollars will be wasted trying to defend discrimination. Arkansas Granny Mar 2015 #4
I'm not so sure it would be struck down Jim Lane Mar 2015 #8
If you have a religious belief against usury Downwinder Mar 2015 #3
If memory serves the Bible, Torah and Koran require that all debt has to be anotojefiremnesuka Mar 2015 #5
Indiana is throwing this kind of bill around, too AwakeAtLast Mar 2015 #6
Intent may be clear to those who wrote it Brainstormy Mar 2015 #7
It's so bad I'm considering getting a concealed carry permit KevJo Mar 2015 #9
 

anotojefiremnesuka

(198 posts)
2. It will pass then it will be eventually struck down by the federal courts
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 04:32 AM
Mar 2015

all the red states, especially in the south are taking all their old segregation, Jim Crow and other racist laws that were struck down by the courts, crossing out the word negro and replacing it with gay.

History repeats itself in the South, it always does.

George Santayana was right.

Arkansas Granny

(31,828 posts)
4. And taxpayer dollars will be wasted trying to defend discrimination.
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 05:32 AM
Mar 2015

We're seeing the same type of legislation here. Arkansas recently passed a bill that does not allow cities in the state to pass their own anti-discriminatory ordinances.

http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/little-rock/2015/02/23/arkansas-bars-expanded-local-anti-discrimination-laws/23903789/

 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
8. I'm not so sure it would be struck down
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 11:51 PM
Mar 2015

It sounds like a state version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

As for your Jim Crow analogy, bear in mind that racially segregated lunch counters and so on were perfectly legal in many states until the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. There is no constitutional right against discrimination by a private entity. There is no constitutional requirement that the federal government or any state government set about to uproot invidious discrimination by private entities.

If a state actually had a law on assault and battery that said, "You can't beat people up unless they're LGBT and you think God told you to hate them, then it's OK," that would raise an Equal Protection Clause issue. When it comes to bakers making cakes for same-sex weddings, though, the Constitution is silent. Would-be celebrants must rely on statutes to protect their rights.

 

anotojefiremnesuka

(198 posts)
5. If memory serves the Bible, Torah and Koran require that all debt has to be
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 08:52 AM
Mar 2015

forgiven every 7 years so. God sez so or some thing like that and a whole bunch of rules and regs on agriculture and work hours and days and even rules for parties that go along with it.

I am sure the banks and mortgage companies will abide by my new found religious beliefs!

AwakeAtLast

(14,256 posts)
6. Indiana is throwing this kind of bill around, too
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 09:53 AM
Mar 2015

What I want to know is how someone is going to know your sexual preference or religious affiliation.

Services denied based on "a hunch" does not seem legal.

Brainstormy

(2,428 posts)
7. Intent may be clear to those who wrote it
Sun Mar 15, 2015, 10:24 AM
Mar 2015

but the language is just word garbage. This could mean most anything. Or nothing.

KevJo

(2 posts)
9. It's so bad I'm considering getting a concealed carry permit
Mon Mar 23, 2015, 01:56 AM
Mar 2015

I'm too poor to move but if I could I would in a heartbeat. Outside of Atlanta and a few of the other larger cities, life in Georgia is social hell.

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