IndependentinWis
Mayor
I hear the rumbles of conservatives on TV telling people that they don't have to follow our laws if they conflict with their religion. Where do these religious rights end and our constitutional rights begin? And don't try to tell me about the First Amendment. No where in the First Amendment does it state that you can use your religion as a basis for discrimination. I know that the conservatives are opening up Pandora's box and once out, will have trouble putting the problems back into the box. My first thought is that before the civil rights movements and even since that time, many whites used their "White Christian religion" as the basis for segregation. Will that continue? What about Jews, Christians and Muslims, will they be allowed to discriminate in employment due to religious differences. Will we go back to allowing people to keep people from the different races from obtainling licenses due to religious beliefs of those in charge of providing such licenses? I guess I could go on and on with examples, but once you allow people to discriminate based on whatever religious beliefs they hold, you allow any kind of discrimination. Religion is a personal belief and everyone sees their religion differently. Justify discrimination against gays today and it could be Catholics, blacks and Jews that are discriminated against tomorrow. I lived in Kentucky in the early 50's as a child and learned about discrimination first hand. Gangs of Protestant kids used to chase me and try to beat me up on the way to and from the Catholic school I attended. I still bear the scar where one of them broke a Coke bottle on my head and hear their jeers calling me Catlicker. I learned early to hate any kind of discrimination.