In Religious Freedom Debate, 2 American Values Clash

[rug]

February 28, 20174:47 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
Tom Gjelten

The collision of two core American values — freedom of religion and freedom from discrimination — is prompting a showdown in legislatures and courts across the country.

For some conservatives, religious freedom means the right to act on their opposition to same-sex marriage and other practices that go against their beliefs. LGBT advocates and their allies, meanwhile, say no one in the United States should face discrimination because of their sexual orientation.

President Trump is said to be considering an executive order to bar the federal government from punishing people or institutions that support marriage exclusively as the union of one man and one woman. The language is similar to a bill expected to be reintroduced by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah called the First Amendment Defense Act.

After a widely circulated draft order aroused considerable opposition from the LGBT community, no further action was taken. Asked recently whether such an order might still get signed, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said only that Trump "will continue to fulfill" commitments he had made. Advocates for executive action say they do not expect new developments until Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, has been confirmed.

http://www.npr.org/2017/02/28/517092031/in-religious-freedom-debate-2-american-values-clash

[Angry Dragon]

1. First rule: Repubs are assholes

[Bretton Garcia]

2. Someone should establish or encourage a liberal church or "religion"

Legally a religion. But friendly to atheists. And homosexuality, say.

Members believe in say, tolerance.

And if the above laws are passed, they may refuse to serve or admit any conservatives, in Liberalists' businesses.

The principles of the Church of Liberalism would be religion, in that say it allow for the possibility of a divine nature - or better, the (metaphorically?) divinity of Nature.

New religions have often been presented; in Protestantism, say.

Many people believe in liberalism, strongly. With a religious fervor. And? A Church of Liberalism would give liberals whatever rights conservatives assign to believers.