I hate to do this, I’m not very good at it, and I tend to give all people the benefit of the doubt, but around St. Louis I have been seeing billboards put up with a patriotic message: “Support Our Religious Freedom” (obligatory eagle and American Flag) This shit is killing me! These child raping sons of bitches telling me that I am violating their freedom of religion by asking that my health care cover birth control for my wife (a decision which should be “between a doctor and his/her patient” or so I’m told by the very fuckers that want this to change,) is not acceptable and is in fact the exact opposite of freedom of religion. There are a few cases in Missouri in which employers are trying to get the supreme court of he state, if not the SCOTUS to rule that an employer who feels that something that I do while in his/her employ does not comply with their religious convictions that the health insurance should not provide prevention or care. I am, in fact, a Christian, but I am well aware that my view is not the only one, nor should it be the predominant one. That is what this country is about. Despite our differences, the federal or state government shall make No Lawin regards to religion or the establishment thereof. Pretending that your religion is under assault because people don’t believe the same things as you is ridiculous. This does not personally affect me, other than the fact that it disgusts me, but I think when churches start pretending that they are defending something they are trying to take away, you know “religious freedom”(as long as it’s my religion) it severely undermines their credibility a charitable organization.
I apologize for the block of text. If it is unreadable I am sorry. I usually lurk and rarely post, so I am still trying to figure out the nuances of the format. Besides, I’m a carpenter, not a writer.
Careful, if you start babbling stuff like “heal the sick” and “feed the poor” we’ll have to take you out and hang you from… something. I’m not sure from what… but it’ll come to me.
What really chaps my ass about all this is; sure they’re working under a religious banner but what they are doing is a business NOT charity. And if you’re going to play in the business world, you gotta play by the business world rules.
So let’s analogize what these fuckers are doing:
Girl: Dammit coach! I have the skills, I demand you let me play on this (all guys) football team.
Coach: [groan] OK fine, you can be on the team.
Girl: OK great! But I don’t think the guys should be allowed to tackle me. Because ya’ know, I’m a girl. Maybe they could, I don’t know, tap me on the shoulder or something instead.
Which used to mean the employer could choose whether to offer health insurance, and if so, what to cover. Health insurance is a benefit to employees, not an integral part of the business. I am all for national health care, and making sure everyone is covered, but take this out of the hands of the employer since it’s not their function. At least if birth control is covered at a government level, I can pretend my taxes go to something else, same way I do with war and the military.
We’ve chased those assholes mostly out of our schools and out of our bedrooms, even out of our children’s beds in far too many cases. Spreading hate and fear is their business and it has turned a sweet profit for a long, long time. Now that profit margin is threatened so they hide behind the flag - the last refuge of scoundrels.
That sounds like a generalization. Plenty of religious folks don’t believe that and would be happy to keep to their business as long you keep to yours. The problem here is that these benefits are being hoisted onto business owners. So how can you expect them to remain silent when you are forcing your way of life on them(Devil’s Advocate)? Also, I would like to state that “I” believe they should act in accordance with the law as the supreme court considered this constitutional and that it shouldn’t be “their” concern what other people do(abortions, contraception, etc.) as it has no bearing on them personally. However, I can see the most fervent of these groups seeing it as their moral obligation to improve the world in the eyes of their religion, but that simply cannot be done without impeding on someone else’s rights.
