Religious Exemptions: With the current push for LGBT rights, the Christian conservative right is demanding that they be allowed to discriminate against gays based in their religious...

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

With the current push for LGBT rights, the Christian conservative right is demanding that they be allowed to discriminate against gays based in their religious beliefs. State legislatures are passing laws to allow it, and some in Congress are agitating for religious exemption laws at the federal level.

This brings the following questions up:

If I claim a religious exemption, can I then refuse to serve blacks in my restaurant?

If I claim a religious exemption, can I refuse to bake a cake for a couple who were living together and fornicating?

If I claim a religious exemption, can I then refuse to sell a white wedding dress to a woman who was not a virgin?

If I claim a religious exemption, can I then refuse to rent my apartment to someone who was divorced and remarried?

Just asking.

Marc-Wi Loc: Oshkosh Wi

Far as I'm concerned you can do any damn thing you want. Don't care. Just sayin'.

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

Marc-Wi wrote:

Far as I'm concerned you can do any damn thing you want. Don't care.

WTF is that supposed to mean?

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

tschmath wrote:

With the current push for LGBT rights, the Christi... (show quote)

Personally my belief is that you should be able to do as you please with your private property.... If you want to limit your market, draw the ire of your community go right ahead, it is your property, if you go out of business then you will only have yourself to blame.

tschmath Loc: Los Angeles

Blurryeyed wrote:

Personally my belief is that you should be able to do as you please with your private property.... If you want to limit your market, draw the ire of your community go right ahead, it is your property, if you go out of business then you will only have yourself to blame.

Let me get this straight. What you are saying is that you are against the Cvil Rights Act of 1964. Is that correct? And if one is allowed to, as you say, do what they want with private property, do the citizens of a state have the right to do what they want with state property? Can the citizens of a state, say, deny someone a drivers license based on any criteria they want, like race or orientation? Can a community set up white and black schools if the overwhelming majority of them are in favor of it? Can a state sanction discrimination like a private citizen can? If not, why? What is the difference?

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

tschmath wrote:

Let me get this straight. What you are saying is t... (show quote)

Yes, I believe in private property rights, no a state cannot discriminate, there is a difference between private property and the state. Personally I find discrimination offensive, that is a principle, I also find private property rights to be very important, also a principle, so when they come into conflict for me private property wins out, I have faith in the moral conscious of the community, if I was aware of blatant discrimination I would not use the services of a business, I would find somewhere else to spend my money, but I also believe that the state should not be allowed to force a person to use his property in a manner that he chooses not to. We have been down this road before after the Hobby Lobby decision.

Steven Seward Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

tschmath wrote:

With the current push for LGBT rights, the Christi... (show quote)

You don't need a religious exemption to legally do anything on the list you provided, with the exception of refusing to serve black people in a restaurant. As a business owner, you are free to sell your products and services to anyone you like, or to refuse anyone you like, except in the cases that the government has deemed "public accommodations". These accommodations are very narrow and include not discriminating because of race or religion. In the U.S., you are free to refuse service if you think someone is ugly, or if their name is Larry Payne.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

tschmath wrote:

With the current push for LGBT rights, the Christi... (show quote)

You do not have to be religious to do any of those things. Atheist have been doing it for years - and they get away with it, why not you. To get a Religious Exemptions you must first get religion. That leaves you out.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

tschmath wrote:

Let me get this straight. What you are saying is t... (show quote)

Here, let me show you again what Blurryeyed wrote:

(READ CAREFULLY, SLOWLY, REPEAT AS NEEDED)

Personally my belief is that you should be able to do as you please with your private property.... If you want to limit your market, draw the ire of your community go right ahead, it is your property, if you go out of business then you will only have yourself to blame.

WNC Ralf Loc: Candler NC, in the mountains!

Marc-Wi wrote:

Far as I'm concerned you can do any damn thing you want. Don't care. Just sayin'.

This is how repubs are elected, too many people do not care until it directly affects them.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Bangee5 wrote:

You do not have to be religious to do any of those things. Atheist have been doing it for years - and they get away with it, why not you. To get a Religious Exemptions you must first get religion. That leaves you out.

Examples please you paranoid. Christians are not a discriminated against minority.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

thom w wrote:

Examples please you paranoid. Christians are not a discriminated against minority.

That didn't make any sense. What are you talking about? It sounds like you wrote everything backwards but that didn't make any sense either... I know it is early but, WAKE-UP!

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Bangee5 wrote:

That didn't make any sense. What are you talking about? It sounds like you wrote everything backwards but that didn't make any sense either... I know it is early but, WAKE-UP!

You are a paranoid. That isn't illegal but it also isn't exactly desirable. You are claiming that Christians are under siege by atheists. This just isn't so. If I were a Christian it would bother me that you claim to be one. I'm not so I don't care, but I bet some do.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

thom w wrote:

You are a paranoid. That isn't illegal but it also isn't exactly desirable. You are claiming that Christians are under siege by atheists. This just isn't so. If I were a Christian it would bother me that you claim to be one. I'm not so I don't care, but I bet some do.

Where did I say that Christians are under siege by atheists?

I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me as a Christian. It is not for you to judge me. Only God can do that and only God do I need to please.

Besides, this is not about me. It is about our/your individual rights to live and to work and to run a business as one sees fit according to one's own convictions. What you think is right for you may not be so for me. Based not on religion but on the Constitution. Above all - To thine own self be true

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Bangee5 wrote:

Where did I say that Christians are under siege by atheists?

I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me as a Christian. It is not for you to judge me. Only God can do that and only God do I need to please.

OK how often do you think you please him?