Sunday, March 02, 2014

Arizona women demonstrate against “free exercise of religion”

Fortunately, this action was not needed because Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the amendment to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  The purpose of the amendment was “Modifies the definition of exercise of religion and allows a person to assert a free exercise claim or defense in a judicial proceeding regardless of whether the government is a party to the proceeding.”

The supposed intent of the amendment was to allow businesses to refuse service to gays and lesbians if the owner’s religious views disapproved of gays and lesbians.

Imagine the shock some of the female legislators would have had when a Muslim shopkeeper refused them service because their heads weren’t covered and their skirts were too short.  Imagine the shock of all when a strict Muslim or Orthodox Jew insisted that men and women sit in separate rooms in his restaurant.

Imagine the outcry from “patriotic” Americans if a strongly pacifist Quaker refused service to any past or present military personnel, in or out of uniform.

The list of religious and philosophical ideas that call for people to resist certain actions goes on and on.  Sorry, we all have to get along and accept behaviors which we do not approve of.  The only legitimate resistance are behaviors that impinge on our physical space.  Even making a list of those is a difficult task.