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Bill Maher Takes On The RFRA Law War On Gays
In his editorial New Rule, Bill Maher addresses Indiana’s new “religious freedom” law and calls on moderates of all religions to come out against fundamentalism.
SNL: CNN Newsroom Skewered On Germanwings, Religious Freedom Laws and Iran Nuclear Deal
On Saturday Night Live last night, CNN Newsroom got skewered:
Brooke Baldwin (Cecily Strong) breaks down the Germanwings plane crash, the Iran nuclear weapons deal and Indiana’s religious freedom law with animated graphics, puppet stand-ins and a performance art group (Michael Keaton, Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant).
Georgia: Christian Florist Would Deny Service To Gays But Not Adulterers Because “It’s A Different Kind Of Sin”
CNN’s Gary Tuchman interviewed several florists in rural Georgia and asked if they would provide certain services to gay people.
All five said “no” based on their deeply held religious beliefs. Clearly, they follow every word of the Bible, right?
Well, maybe not all of them.
It turns out being an adulterer doesn’t disqualify you from being served by Melissa Jeffcoat.
Check out this excerpt from the segment:
Tuchman: … In the Ten Commandments, it says you can’t commit adultery…
Jeffcoat: Right.
Tuchman: It says you need to honor your father and mother.
Jeffcoat: Mhmm.
Tuchman: If someone didn’t honor their parents or committed adultery, would you serve them?
Jeffcoat: Yes.
Tuchman: Well, why would you serve them but not serve someone who is gay?
Jeffcoat: It’s just a different kind of sin to me and I just don’t believe in it.
So, when the conservative nuts tell you it has nothing to do with the gays and just their “deeply held religious beliefs,” remember that some sins are just “different.” #Hypocrisy
Georgia: House Judiciary Committee Cancels Meeting For “Religious Liberty” Bill
A Georgia state House Judiciary committee meeting scheduled for Monday morning to further consider a “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA) was abruptly cancelled last night.
With only two more days left in Georgia’s legislative session, it’s possible the cancellation was due, in part, to a disastrous appearance by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on ABC’s This Week.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The back-and-forth on the bill comes as Indiana deals with the backlash from adopting a similar law that has led to calls of boycotts and the potential loss of tens of millions of dollars in tourism and economic development. Indiana Gov. Mike Spence on Sunday told ABC News the law is not about discrimination but refused to say whether it would permit a business owner to refuse service to someone with whom they disagree.
In Georgia this past Thursday, in a surprise 9-8 vote, the Judiciary Committee voted to amend Senate Bill 129 to add language making clear the bill could not be used to discriminate against anyone already protected by any local, state or federal law. It was quickly tabled by supporters who said adding anti-discrimination language “gutted” the bill.
The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven, who said at the time, “I take at face value the statements of the proponents that they do not intend discrimination with this bill but I also believe that if that is the case, we should state that expressly in the bill itself. That is what the amendment does.”
Perhaps Georgia doesn’t want to be the next Indiana.
RFRA legislation has become the new means to attack the LGBT community by conservatives who see the writing on the wall with the impending decision coming soon from SCOTUS on marriage equality.
North Carolina: Gov. McCrory Speaks Out Against “Religious Freedom” Legislation
Speaking on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R) spoke out against a bill in his state’s legislature that would mimic the controversial “Religious Freedom” laws in Indiana, which could allow for legalized discrimination against LGBT folks.
“What is the problem they’re trying to solve?” McCrory said during a radio interview. “I haven’t seen it at this point in time.”
McCrory also denounced a bill approved in the state Senate that would allow magistrates to “opt-out” of performing same-sex marriages if they were so inclined.
“I don’t think you should have an exemption when you took an oath to uphold … the constitution of North Carolina,” he said.
Matt Baume Explains Why “Religious Freedom” Laws Aren’t About “Freedom”
Matt Baume explains why so many “religious freedoms” laws are actually “license to discriminate” dressed up in sheep’s clothing.
Last week, Senator James Lankford (Oklahoma) and Representative Randy Forbes (Virginia) jumped on the fact that Chipotle suspended a pork supplier for failing to provide proper animal care.
Then they twisted that news through a tangle of logic until it was sly justification for businesses to refuse service to LGBTs.
Georgia: Anti-Gay “Religious Freedom” Bill Passes In State Senate 35-17
Anti-gay ‘religious freedom’ bill gets 35-17 approval from Georgia Senate. #gapol #RFRA http://t.co/zlh6aHNeWO pic.twitter.com/Lkf8BAAEUS
— Project Q Atlanta (@ProjectQAtlanta) March 5, 2015
By a vote of 37 to 15 the Georgia Senate passes the “license to discriminate”
— Georgia Equality (@GAEquality) March 5, 2015
The bill, S.B. 129, had been tabled last week. But GOP state Sen. Josh McKoon put the legislation to a quick vote on Monday when Democratic committee members were taking a bathroom break.
Frank Bruni On Faux “Religious Freedom vs Marriage Equality” Argument
“I’ve been called many unpleasant things in my life, and I’ve deserved no small number of them. But I chafe at this latest label: A threat to your religious liberty.
“I don’t mean me alone. I mean me and my evidently menacing kind: men who have romantic relationships with other men and maybe want to marry them, and women in analogous situations. According to many of the Americans who still cast judgment on us, our ‘I do’ somehow tramples you, not merely running counter to your creed but running roughshod over it.
“That’s absurd. And the deference that many politicians show to such thinking is an example not of religion getting the protection it must but of religious people getting a pass that isn’t warranted.
“As these lamentations about religious liberty get tossed around, it’s worth remembering that racists have used the same argument to try to perpetuate segregation. Esseks noted that even after the Civil Rights Act, the owner of the Piggie Park restaurant chain in South Carolina maintained that he could refuse to serve black people because his religion forbade the mixing of races. The courts were unimpressed.
“I respect people of faith. I salute the extraordinary works of compassion and social justice that many of them and many of their churches do… And I support the right of people to believe what they do and say what they wish — in their pews, homes and hearts. But outside of those places? You must put up with me, just as I put up with you.”
— New York Times op-ed columnist Frank Bruni, writing on the false conservative argument of “marriage equality vs. religious freedom.”
America’s Best Christian Betty Bowers explains “Religious Freedom”
