Religious Freedom Restoration Act - Legalizing Discrimination in Indiana

The freedom to use religion as an excuse for discrimination and segregation. Religious people should be so proud.
Indiana Committee Passes Anti-Gay ‘Religious Freedom’ License To Discriminate Bill]

The freedom to use religion as an excuse for discrimination and segregation. Religious people should be so proud. Indiana Committee Passes Anti-Gay 'Religious Freedom' License To Discriminate Bill]
Just another reason I wish Jesus would return. He'd show up at one of these committee meetings and heap scorn on these haters. Just pitiful.
The freedom to use religion as an excuse for discrimination and segregation. Religious people should be so proud. Indiana Committee Passes Anti-Gay 'Religious Freedom' License To Discriminate Bill]
Just another reason I wish Jesus would return. He'd show up at one of these committee meetings and heap scorn on these haters. Just pitiful. If he showed up most of the committee members would call him an impostor. They would never accept that Jesus would not want what they want. Lois

I am always amazed at how far bigotry will go and never reflect on the likely outcome of such vindictive reactions against people they need to feel superior to. This will make for some fascinating court coverage when it gets to the higher courts as it will most likely do. I so hope it involves the religious rights of a faith not intended to be protected by this legislation.

My religious beliefs prevent me from kissing Christians behinds. Will that fly in Indiana?

If he showed up most of the committee members would call him an impostor. They would never accept that Jesus would not want what they want.
and then they would nail the poor sob.
My religious beliefs prevent me from kissing Christians behinds. Will that fly in Indiana?
In Indiana, you might find a cross burning in your front yard. None of these people can be very deep thinkers. They want something they consider to be unpleasant to go away, and if some knee-jerk religious action seems to fit the bill, they dive in with both feet. They fail to see that this is no different from discriminating against Jews or Blacks. They fail to understand that you cannot discriminate by majority rule (i.e. you can’t vote in discrimination; it says so in the Constitution so many of them claim to hold so dear). To me this is similar to arguments of how prayer should be allowed in public schools. The last time someone told me that, I asked them if that meant they would be OK if their son or daughter had a teacher who was a Muslim who had them bow down and pray to Allah during class. I just got that “deer caught in the headlights" look.

Indiana House passes controversial ‘religious freedom’ bill
The “religious discrimination bill”] moves closer to becoming law in Indiana. Ah, yes. The Klan is alive and well in Indiana.
Does this mean Islamic business owners need not serve Christians and vice-versa? Christians need not serve Jews and vice-versa? What is the opposite of “Enlightenment”?

What is the opposite of "Enlightenment"?
Endarkenment.
The freedom to use religion as an excuse for discrimination and segregation. Religious people should be so proud. Indiana Committee Passes Anti-Gay 'Religious Freedom' License To Discriminate Bill]
Just another reason I wish Jesus would return. He'd show up at one of these committee meetings and heap scorn on these haters. Just pitiful. They would just deny that he's Jesus. Lois
Indiana House passes controversial 'religious freedom' bill The "religious discrimination bill"] moves closer to becoming law in Indiana. Ah, yes. The Klan is alive and well in Indiana.
Eh, it's probably not the klan's doing.

I have mixed feelings about this; the religious backdrop is disturbing, but I support small businesses’ ability to refuse service.

Eh, it’s probably not the klan’s doing.
I'm guessing you don't live in Indiana. Even so, there are a lot of similarities between the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi and the State Legislature of Indiana.
I support small businesses’ ability to refuse service
Ironically, the Chamber of Commerce here has voiced their concern about passing this bill. They have been working for years to make Indianapolis and the whole state of Indiana a "Welcoming Place" for business, and they see this bill as something that adversely affects their efforts. A bill purported to help small business that the business community is against? Only in Indiana.
I have mixed feelings about this; the religious backdrop is disturbing, but I support small businesses' ability to refuse service.
Discrimination is outlawed by federal law, with good reasons. Do you also favor whites only drinking fountains?
I have mixed feelings about this; the religious backdrop is disturbing, but I support small businesses' ability to refuse service.
Discrimination is outlawed by federal law, with good reasons. Do you also favor whites only drinking fountains?LOL at "with good reasons". Some types of discrimination are legal, you have to know which buttons to push.
Some types of discrimination are legal, you have to know which buttons to push.
Which types of discrimination are legal?
I have mixed feelings about this; the religious backdrop is disturbing, but I support small businesses' ability to refuse service.
This issue was decided a long time ago. what kind of country would we have if every business were allowed to pick and chose who they serve? Restaurants could refuse to serve blacks, The only gas station for 100 miles could refuse to provide fuel to Jews. A physician could refuse to provide services to gay or lesbian patients. Entire towns could refuse service to democrats or republicans since many towns have nothing but small businesses providing service. Not only would it make the world more dangerous for unpopular minorities, but allowing this sort of discrimination would create a distinctly unamerican atmosphere of oppression and intolerance throughout country. Businesses small or otherwise can not be permitted to discriminate based on the owners individual prejudices or beliefs.

I eagerly await MA’s explanation of how businesses are allowed to discriminate despite the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and decades of court decisions. 'Tis far easier to make unsupported assertions than provide evidence.

I completely understand feelings in support of the business side. I actually have more than a few Conservative views on things, but the current Republican Party has gone so far out of whack that there is no longer any room for (dare I use the term) “moderates".
What bothers me is that there is the situation that triggered all of this and the actual reaction in the form of the bill.
The situation is that there are florists, caterers and photographers that do not want to get involved in gay/lesbian weddings. I’ve been trying to find out how many lawsuits have been filed in Indiana between gay/lesbian couples trying to arrange a wedding and businesses who have refused them. I can’t find any. In fact there have been gay couples interviewed on the news who said they were turned down by businesses and just moved on until they found businesses who would handle their weddings. I have talked to several gay people who said they would do the same thing. So, is there a problem? It doesn’t seem like it.
The bill, on the other hand, does not even mention the above issue. It is purposely vague and general such that anyone with any kind of so-called religious belief can refuse anyone anything, within certain parameters (you still can’t force blacks to sit in the back of the bus). To me it reads that if you have some inherent prejudice against some group, you are allowed to hide behind a religion and discriminate against them as you please.
From all of this it appears to be a way for “Hoosiers" to make a statement of their support for “traditional values" under the guise of protecting all of these beleaguered Christian business people who are being dragged daily into court by gay thugs and bullies. What a sham and a waste of taxpayer’s money.

You have to wonder how many of the owners of these businesses would be willing to stand by their conviction not to serve particular customers if those customers made up the majority of the clientele in town. I personally think they are a bunch of cowardly hypocrites. If a substantial portion of their income were dependent on business from whatever group they are opposed to I think its a fair bet to say that they would gladly serve them.
Additionally the law is inconsistent. Why is it important to allow someone to discriminate against gays but not blacks or women? Its inconsistent because not because its logical but because it is still politically prudent to discriminate against gays but not so for women or blacks. This law does not deserve a place in the American legal system.