My belief says...

I'm bothered by Kim Davis type actions, but this is more of the same. Instead, of hey, everyone has these particular rights, no more no less, we can bring in more exceptions based on religion. Can't we? Sure looks like it?

I have to have this day off, or I can't perform this service are ideas cut from the same cloth.

Where does it end? Am I just being an alarmist? I don't think I like where it could be going. Rights are rights, but rights aren't constant exceptions, and I think religion could take us in that direction, because I can't see any limits. If you see limits, let me know. I just see more possibilities.

(the title of video is actually a different issue, but I happened to see it on a rightwing site and decided it was a good example for what I wanted to point out)



I might add, I may be biased, but I think the argument over secular based rights are much more limited. Religious rights are whatever the imagination comes up with next AFAICT.

And I am very much against unlimited imagination being coded into rights and privileges, unless it is at least based on some formal logic at a minimum.

I think what I'm trying to get at, is though I believe one should have the right of religious freedom, ALL OF US, have core rights and religious preferences is a secondary right and it should not infringe on our core rights. And it should never override core rights.

I think maybe the best model of extreme religion is probably what the Amish do. They are a society within society. They wanted to do their own thing. It's too extreme to impose on a greater society, but I see nothing wrong with how they've implemented it.

It's as close to a perfect way to do it, including agreements with the greater society around it.

Of course, unfortunately, other branches of Christianity and Islam, are expansionists or colonizers. Some have been peaceful, some not, but either way they don't really confine themselves.

Look at what Arab Spring Tunisa has had thrown in its way.
displaying merchadize for sale during prayers
cafes being open during Ramadan

Its relentless encroachment even in a Moslem country.

Quote: rxwine

I have to have this day off, or I can't perform this service are ideas cut from the same cloth.

There's nothing wrong with accommodating someone's religion in certain ways, like days off for religious holidays.

The problem is when ever more "religious rights" are claimed, even when they're, at best, a stretch. For example observant Jews don't eat pork. This does not mean they cannot sell other people pork. Imagine a cashier at Wal-Mart refusing to ring you up because you're buying bacon and her faith forbids it.

In particular government employees should not be allowed to either discriminate against anyone for any reason, nor to refuse to provide services to anyone for any reason. Kim Davis allegedly refused to issue any marriage licenses at all, arguing that was not discriminatory. Indeed some plaintiffs in the lawsuit against her were straight couples denied a license.

This would be akin to the Jewish cashier at Wal-Mart refusing to ring up any meat, and arguing that's not discriminatory.

Quote: Nareed

There's nothing wrong with accommodating someone's religion in certain ways, like days off for religious holidays.

.

Take a sick day.
No way we should celebrate something like L Ron Hubbards birthday

All religious holidays should be treated as sick days if you need off for religious purposes.
Its the fairest way to do this.
Everybody gets the same number of days off.
No way a religious person should have more days off then a non religious person

Quote: terapined

All religious holidays should be treated as sick days if you need off for religious purposes.
Its the fairest way to do this.
Everybody gets the same number of days off.
No way a religious person should have more days off then a non religious person

I don't know how things work in the US. In Mexico typically Dec. 25th, Dec 12th, Nov. 2nd and Good Friday are given as days off either through regulation or through collective contracts. These are all Christian holidays. If you took these off and said "now they have to be traded for sick days," you'd start a riot.

In Judaism, typically the only days off regular observant Jews take are New Year's on the Lunar calendar and Yom Kippur. More religious ones, especially orthodox, might take more (the school I went to had abut ten days off all told for Jewish holidays; not that I complained then). I've no idea about other religions.

I oppose all religions equally, and will welcome their ultimate demise, but I've no animus against people taking a few days off per year, given sufficient prior warning.