Waking the sleeping beast of religious liberty

[rug]

Sunday, January 4, 2015
FREDERICK CLARKSON
Senior Fellow, Political Research Associates

Something remarkable happened in the run up to the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Hobby Lobby vs. Burwell. A movement was born. A potentially historic movement that does not yet know its name — but which may yet bring the light of hope to a darkening political landscape.

The Supreme Court ultimately threw out historic understandings of the right of individual conscience — what we generally call religious freedom — by extending the right of conscience for employers to claim broad exceptions from laws and regulations on the basis of their religious beliefs.

The decision magnified and encouraged the notion that among other things, religious exemptions from the law justify discrimination against LGBTQ people.

The best known of these exemptions have been bills introduced in state legislatures under the rubric of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Proposed RFRAs (pronounced rif-ruhs) in the past year have included provisions that would allow anyone to refuse to do business with, or provide services to, same-sex couples by citing religious beliefs.

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2015/01/waking-the-sleeping-beast-of-religious-liberty/

[cbayer]

1. I hope he is correct about the direction this ship is going to take.

One can hope that the pendulum can only swing back, but we shall see what happens at the state levels this year.

[OrwellwasRight]

2. i keep asking what does this mean for government contractors

who want to refuse to provide same-sex spousal benefits because of their supposed "religious beliefs"? Do they get a free pass to ignore government policy?

[cbayer]

3. I haven't seen that question raised before, but it's a really good one.

Rug may know if there is or has been a case.