Re-elected, Obama takes aim at religious liberty
So, people have First Amendment protections as long as they don’t start businesses. If they do, and if they operate their businesses according with their own consciences, they “become laws unto themselves,” as the Obama administration puts it.
So this is who the Left has in mind when it says conservatives are trying to legislate morality: people who dare to follow their moral and religious beliefs, as opposed to a code devised by bureaucrats regulating a secular state.
If people want to adhere to their faith, they best stay quiet about it. The liberal commentariat made that clear this past election season.
“I’m tired of religious groups operating secular enterprises (hospitals, schools),” writer Kevin Drum fumed in the liberal Mother Jones, “hiring people of multiple faiths, serving the general public, taking taxpayer dollars — and then claiming that deeply held religious beliefs should exempt them from public policy.”
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This tyranny must be destroyed.
jawkneemusic on November 12, 2012 at 10:41 PM
The RVWAS is not to be trifled with, careful now.
Bishop on November 12, 2012 at 10:44 PM
How so?
forest on November 12, 2012 at 10:44 PM
the persecution is going to be great!
tom daschle concerned on November 12, 2012 at 10:45 PM
But people are totally overreacting with those Whit House petitions. This administration is the Fifth Column.
The Count on November 12, 2012 at 10:45 PM
Fixed it.
Chip on November 12, 2012 at 10:49 PM
They best stay quiet about it? what’s that thing about the church and state again. Why do I feel like it’s Russia my parents warned me about?
mnkatie on November 12, 2012 at 10:50 PM
Nobody expects the Obarky Inquisition!
Bishop on November 12, 2012 at 10:51 PM
This isn’t going to end well.
What’s are the odds ObamaCare is thrown out on Religious Liberty grounds?
jawkneemusic on November 12, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Inevitable.
Lawrence on November 12, 2012 at 10:55 PM
Want to make decent, law abiding citizens into completely uncooperative, unflinching, uncompromising freedom fighters? Yep, this is the formula. Require us to do something prohibited in Scripture, or to not do what God requires.
Scribbler on November 12, 2012 at 10:57 PM
In other words if you take taxpayers dollars, which in this case is because they performed a service for those dollars, it is now illegal to resist public policy? What about all those universities that took federal student loans and refused to allow the military on campus? Weren’t they exempting themselves from public policy?
Rocks on November 12, 2012 at 10:58 PM
And everybody was worried about Romney being a Mormon! In the LDS church, we have an actual article of our faith that states that everyone has the right to believe however they wish.
Kristamatic on November 12, 2012 at 10:59 PM
Anyone who thinks liberal-marxist-demofreaks don’t despise conservative Jews and Christians and their values is a mindless idiot. What I keep waiting to watch with popcorn is how they try to fully implement their suppression of Christians and keep their African American and Hispanic coalition at the same time. However, I’m scared that I may see all the supposed African American and Hispanic Christians decide they would rather worship government than God.
yhxqqsn on November 12, 2012 at 11:00 PM
rogerb on November 12, 2012 at 11:07 PM
It will be interesting to see what happens when the Catholic Church starts to close down it’s hospitals, clinics, dental centers, adoption agencies, schools, etc.
TKindred on November 12, 2012 at 11:10 PM
Like when Jewish hospitals keep their cafeterias kosher in clear violation of the food pyramid? I mean, what are we taking about here, exactly?
Knott Buyinit on November 12, 2012 at 11:10 PM
I’m sure That One has plans to replace them with–what else?–government-run institutions.
Mr. Prodigy on November 12, 2012 at 11:12 PM
Wait until the high speed trains are running. It won’t be long now.
faraway on November 12, 2012 at 11:13 PM
YOU WILL FAIL! Not just religious liberty. ALL liberty is going to fail.
(Sam and Max fans will note the quote.)
RoadRunner on November 12, 2012 at 11:15 PM
You sir are awesome.
jawkneemusic on November 12, 2012 at 11:16 PM
Obama’s 2nd term, guaranteed.
faraway on November 12, 2012 at 11:17 PM
“If you take the Queen’s shilling, you accept the Queen’s bidding.”
dukecitygirl on November 12, 2012 at 11:18 PM
I’m tired of fulminating nincompoops like Kevin Drum.
Apparently, he would prefer churches operating “secular” businesses to hire only their own to staff.
Here’s an idea, Kevin. Open your own #$%^&@#$% hospital.
novaculus on November 12, 2012 at 11:21 PM
I’m really really really REALLY looking forward to seeing the feds start raiding mosques.
Bishop on November 12, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Starting with the one in mecca, perhaps?
Mr. Prodigy on November 12, 2012 at 11:45 PM
It’ll be a welcome relief from the forced march.
TexasDan on November 12, 2012 at 11:53 PM
I thought we fought a revolution to stop this? When did the Bill of Rights get changed to the Bill of you’ll do what the government thinks is right and like it? The Queen gave that money for a service, she got that service. There should be no more to the transaction.
Rocks on November 12, 2012 at 11:56 PM
With extreme prejudice.
Tacitus on November 13, 2012 at 12:04 AM
Muslims are exempt from the law of course.
jawkneemusic on November 13, 2012 at 12:14 AM
Meh. Freedom of religion.
What’s the big deal?
It’s not like people have ever fought or given up their lives for that or anything.
Wolverines.
justltl on November 13, 2012 at 12:20 AM
Thank you for saving me the trouble of coming up with a reply to dukecitygirl.
INC on November 13, 2012 at 12:25 AM
Yeah, but we DON’T HAVE A QUEEN! It’s the same with all the social justice ‘catholics’ who quote, “Render unto Caesar…” We DON’T HAVE A CAESAR either! Government OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE! WE are the people. We are the government. That is MY money they’re taking, not some imaginary UNCLE SAM’s. /fury
“I expect to die in my bed. My successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.” ~Francis Cardinal George, Chicago.
It’s coming. The lines are being drawn. Time to pick a side.
pannw on November 13, 2012 at 12:44 AM
Oh, it’s coming alright- if not due to a direct assault on religion, then it will be on economic grounds- such as confiscation of retirement funds for redistribution. Does anyone think that the Dems aren’t going to reach their thieving hands into that cookie jar? Retirement funds are soon going to be the last available stash for them to rob. You’ll know it’s coming when they begin to portray private retirement funds as ‘unfair’.
justltl on November 13, 2012 at 12:55 AM
Here’s how to force the issue. Find a local Muslim meat market, deli, or restaurant. Demand pork. This should work best in a meat market where they should have everything BUT pork, including goat.
Then sue them when they won’t produce pork for you. I’m sure you can find a lawyer to help you pro-bono, since it will give him/her a lot of publicity.
The Rogue Tomato on November 13, 2012 at 1:42 AM
Medicare.
Because selling the government a service at a mutually agreed upon price is of course indistinguishable from being subsidized by the government.
/sarc
There Goes The Neighborhood on November 13, 2012 at 3:52 AM
Will this apply to Muslims?
djl130 on November 13, 2012 at 5:45 AM
So is he saying he’d prefer religious-based hospitals refuse to accept services from people whose expenses are covered by the taxpayer, like, oh, Medicaid? ‘Cuz that’s the ER waiting room I want to be in next time.
CJ on November 13, 2012 at 6:50 AM
“I’m tired of religious groups
operating secular enterprises (hospitals, schools),”writer Kevin Drum fumed in the liberal Mother Jones,“hiring people of multiple faiths, serving the general public, taking taxpayer dollars — and then claiming that deeply held religious beliefs should exempt them from public policy.”Fixed it.
clippermiami on November 13, 2012 at 7:04 AM
The war never ended and now the Tories have won or at least won this battle.
Frank Enstine on November 13, 2012 at 7:16 AM
I wonder if the Obamas keep an open chair at dinner for the 12th Imam.
We know he has said “those who slander the Prophet of Islam” but he’s pretty darn comfortable slandering other religious beliefs.
Are there any muslim outreach/hospitals that can be tested in the same way as Obama is testing christian outreach/hospitals?
———
NB: Atheist here. Just believe you can believe if you want to believe as long as you let me not believe what you believe.
ProfShadow on November 13, 2012 at 7:36 AM
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: President Obama’s concept of religious freedom is that it’s okay for you to be a Catholic on Sunday morning, but on Monday morning you’d better run your business as though you are a Unitarian.
radjah shelduck on November 13, 2012 at 7:58 AM
Incredibly anti-American…
The Left rejects diversity.
visions on November 13, 2012 at 8:00 AM
Re: the comments about Muslim –
Specifically, will the taxi drivers in _____ now have to accept seeing eye dogs?
tomg51 on November 13, 2012 at 8:02 AM
Several of you have commented on what Kevin Drum wrote. You know where he lost me? After the first three words, “I’m tired of.” Ever read a column by George Will or Charles Krauthammer or Ed Morrissey that has those three words? No, you don’t. What a dreadful way to begin an argument, this is wrong because the subject of the sentence–me–grows weary of what others do. It’s the self-centered arrogance of the left, whose champion in the Oval Office uses the first person singular more often than a mad dog barks.
radjah shelduck on November 13, 2012 at 8:11 AM
Easy..just take over the facilities. They are already built and operational.
For the good of the collective.
Eminent Domain.
Mimzey on November 13, 2012 at 8:19 AM
“Public policy” is just a euphemism for government edict. Isn’t the whole purpose of the bill of right to protect individucal rights from “public policy”? This guy’s problem appears to be with freedom itself.
tommyboy on November 13, 2012 at 8:45 AM
Wow, talk about missing the point, he isn’t even on the same continent with the point.
As people of faith, we are bound first by God’s law – the Ten Commandments, and Christians by Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Muslims are bound by the law as set forth in the Koran. Our obedience to God’s laws does not end when we start a business. There can be no conflict with “the state.”
There is a reason why the “first freedom” guaranteed by the First Amendment is the free exercise of religion, and also there is a reason why the Amendment says “free exercise of religion” and not “freedom of worship.” The Amendment also does not restrict that guarantee to churches/synagogues/mosques, therefore it must apply to the individual employer.
It’s a shame the Hobby Lobby even has to take this to court. The government will lose this cae and probably by 9-0 if it insists on taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. There is no compelling state interest in forcing an employer to provide a product or service to its employees that restricts its free exercise of religion.
rockmom on November 13, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Oops! I hate to break it to you, but apparently you slept through the recent election. They crossed that bridge already.
2ndMAW68 on November 13, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Obamism delenda est.
I believe JC was quoting the Torah when he said that.
Olo_Burrows on November 18, 2012 at 6:51 PM