Arizona Senate Passes Religious Discrimination Bill

[tytlyf]

Arizona Senate Passes Bill Allowing Discrimination On Basis Of Religious Freedom

So now it's legal in AZ to discriminate against any customer based on your religious belief.

"Exercise of religion" means the PRACTICE OR OBSERVANCE OF RELIGION, INCLUDING THE ability to act or refusal to act in a manner substantially motivated by a religious belief whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief."

Arizona Senate Passes Bill Allowing Discrimination On Basis Of Religious Freedom

 

[Enai de a lukal]

So... legalized discrimination. Awesome. Is it 1914, or 2014? Jesus effing Christ... I hate this country.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

So... legalized discrimination. Awesome. Is it 1914, or 2014? Jesus effing Christ... I hate this country.

Same. I'm so ashamed.

 

[idav]

Yup, pretty appalling.:sad:

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

Everyday, there's something that makes me less and less want to be here in the US.

 

[Jainarayan]

I'm sure it won't stand, but not being a lawyer, I don't know how it would be struck down. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, and it doesn't seem to fit the equal protection of the law clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The only thing I can think of is that it violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Even then the Civil Rights Act typically applies to employment, public accommodations and facilities, not to private enterprises deciding whom to do business with. However, there is precedent: Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia At any rate, this discriminatory nonsense is going too far, and its basis is in right wing-nut Christian funda-mental cases.

 

[Jainarayan]

Everyday, there's something that makes me less and less want to be here in the US.

That and the weather here. Perth Australia, here I come!

 

[Dirty Penguin]

That and the weather here. Perth Australia, here I come!

Exactly. The wife thinks Canada could be our new home but I'm thinking Australia...:yes:

 

[Kilgore Trout]

At least now it will be easier for people in Arizona to find out which business are owned by bigots, and be able to take their business elsewhere.

 

[Jainarayan]

I'll bet people already know. Bigots cannot stay in the closet if their souls depended on it.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

At least now it will be easier for people in Arizona to find out which business are owned by bigots, and be able to take their business elsewhere.

And which businesses to picket.

Given that quite a few Fortune 500 companies are queer-friendly, though, I'm sure Arizona will have a difficult time turning away companies like Starbucks, Target, and Walmart (yes, Walmart!) who all have supported same sex marriage rights and benefits for their employees.

Like others have stated, I believe this will be short-lived. Either it will be defeated in the Supreme Court, or the state will realize how futile it is to continue pandering to archaic and bigoted views on homosexuality as Chic-Fil-A did.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I'll bet people already know. Bigots cannot stay in the closet if their souls depended on it.

Yes, but many do when not getting sued depends on it.

I'd suggest that the people of Arizona immediately enact a program whereby teams of people attempt to patronize every store and record which stores reject their business based on "freedom of religion." These findings can then be uploaded to a simple, publically-available database on the internet so that consumers have easy access to which businesses are owned by bigots. It would be simple to also make an app. I suspect that these businesses would lose more business than they would gain by people knowing they rejected customers due to "freedom of religion."

 

[The Neo Nerd]

Yeah come to Australia.

Just beware of all the snakes, spiders, sharks, drop bears, jellyfish, stingrays etc.

But come anyway. Just don't go outdoors.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Yes, but many do when not getting sued depends on it.

I'd suggest that the people of Arizona immediately enact a program whereby teams of people attempt to patronize every store and record which stores reject their business based on "freedom of religion." These findings can then be uploaded to a simple, publically-available database on the internet so that consumers have easy access to which businesses are owned by bigots. It would be simple to also make an app. I suspect that these businesses would lose more business than they would gain by people knowing they rejected customers due to "freedom of religion."

Utilizing apps, a free blog site, and social media sites like Twitter and FB will get the word out. Consumers can vote with their dollars.

Look, if you offer another reasonable post again today, when I can't give you any more frubals, I'll have to find something else to give you.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Utilizing apps, a free blog site, and social media sites like Twitter and FB will get the word out. Consumers can vote with their dollars.

Look, if you offer another reasonable post again today, when I can't give you any more frubals, I'll have to find something else to give you.

I can think of a couple of things. One involves turkey, the other doesn't.

 

[Jainarayan]

Yes, but many do when not getting sued depends on it.

Good point. In which case it shows their lack of convictions in their faith, i.e. hypocrisy, rendering the law pointless.

I'd suggest that the people of Arizona immediately enact a program whereby teams of people attempt to patronize every store and record which stores reject their business based on "freedom of religion." These findings can then be uploaded to a simple, publically-available database on the internet so that consumers have easy access to which businesses are owned by bigots. It would be simple to also make an app. I suspect that these businesses would lose more business than they would gain by people knowing they rejected customers due to "freedom of religion."

Booyah!

 

[Jainarayan]

Yeah come to Australia.

Just beware of all the snakes, spiders, sharks, drop bears, jellyfish, stingrays etc.

But come anyway. Just don't go outdoors.

Snakes, spiders, sharks, drop bears, jellyfish, stingrays, even yowies be damned as long as there's no snow.

Besides, any country that can produce Heath Ledger, Hugh Jackman and Chris Hemsworth can't be all bad. :drool:

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Yes, but many do when not getting sued depends on it.

I'd suggest that the people of Arizona immediately enact a program whereby teams of people attempt to patronize every store and record which stores reject their business based on "freedom of religion." These findings can then be uploaded to a simple, publically-available database on the internet so that consumers have easy access to which businesses are owned by bigots. It would be simple to also make an app. I suspect that these businesses would lose more business than they would gain by people knowing they rejected customers due to "freedom of religion."

Yep....Freedom of religion and sexual orientation. Then we can chart which businesses are starting to lose money because of their discriminatory mentality and actions. We can sit back and watch them run themselves out of business.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Yeah come to Australia.

Just beware of all the snakes, spiders, sharks, drop bears, jellyfish, stingrays etc.

But come anyway. Just don't go outdoors.

Many of us will fit right in. We have many of those animals and spiders here too.

 

[crossfire]

At least now it will be easier for people in Arizona to find out which business are owned by bigots, and be able to take their business elsewhere.

Maybe not. From another thread on this bill:
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/religious-debates/159930-arizona-religious-freedom-bill-2.html

This bill extends "religious freedom" to non-individuals:

5. "Person" includes ANY INDIVIDUAL, ASSOCIATION, PARTNERSHIP, CORPORATION, CHURCH, RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY OR INSTITUTION, ESTATE, TRUST, FOUNDATION OR OTHER LEGAL ENTITY.​

-source-

Since when do corporations have an individual conscience, particularly when it comes to any specific religion?

I can't believe how far they extended that even beyond churches. It is bad enough that Westboro Baptists would love to bring out their discriminatory powers but extending religious freedoms to corporations is ludicrous. Am I in a Twilight Zone episode?

Not only that, but if you try to sue a corporation for discrimination, they can invoke this "Religious Freedom" law and are entitled to "relief" (for business lost due to the discrimination lawsuit?)

Am I reading this wrong? :help:

D. A person whose religious exercise is burdened in violation of this section may assert that violation as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS A PARTY TO THE PROCEEDING. THE PERSON ASSERTING SUCH A CLAIM OR DEFENSE MAY OBTAIN APPROPRIATE RELIEF.
A party who prevails in any action to enforce this article against a government shall recover attorney fees and costs.​

Am I reading/interpreting this Bill incorrectly? :help: