Using Religion as an Excuse to Discriminate
By DOROTHY J. SAMUELS, NYT
A pernicious measure just introduced in the House, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, provides the latest example of political conservatives trying to use religion as an excuse to discriminate.
Drafted by Rep. Raul Labrador, Republican of Idaho, and endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Organization for Marriage, the Family Research Council and other prominent opponents of same-sex marriage, the intolerant measure would inflict significant harm on gay people and their families.
Mr. Labrador describes his bill, which has over 60 co-sponsors, as a “narrowly tailored” piece of legislation needed to prevent the Internal Revenue Service and other parts of the federal government from punishing religious institutions that oppose same-sex marriage. It’s actually very broad. The measure would prevent the government from taking any “adverse actions” based on “acts in accordance” with a person or group’s religiously motivated opposition to same-sex marriage.
An invitation to both unfairness and bureaucratic chaos, it could potentially allow federal employees to refuse to process tax returns or Social Security, veterans or other benefit claims from married same-sex couples. It could also allow businesses to deny same-sex spouses their rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act, including time off from work to care for a sick loved one.
(More here.)
A pernicious measure just introduced in the House, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, provides the latest example of political conservatives trying to use religion as an excuse to discriminate.
Drafted by Rep. Raul Labrador, Republican of Idaho, and endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Organization for Marriage, the Family Research Council and other prominent opponents of same-sex marriage, the intolerant measure would inflict significant harm on gay people and their families.
Mr. Labrador describes his bill, which has over 60 co-sponsors, as a “narrowly tailored” piece of legislation needed to prevent the Internal Revenue Service and other parts of the federal government from punishing religious institutions that oppose same-sex marriage. It’s actually very broad. The measure would prevent the government from taking any “adverse actions” based on “acts in accordance” with a person or group’s religiously motivated opposition to same-sex marriage.
An invitation to both unfairness and bureaucratic chaos, it could potentially allow federal employees to refuse to process tax returns or Social Security, veterans or other benefit claims from married same-sex couples. It could also allow businesses to deny same-sex spouses their rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act, including time off from work to care for a sick loved one.
(More here.)
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1 Comments:
Hmmmm ... is this constitutional ?
By Mr. LABRADOR:
H.R. 3133.
Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following:
This legislation has been written pursuant to protections
guaranteed by the First Amendment, which outlines, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
Doesn't this sound like they are making a law that establishes religious dogma ?
BTW, of the 62 co-sponsors, there is only one Minnesotan ... you can guess which one.
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