Sex, drugs, and religious liberty

RightSideNews ^ | 1/13/2014 | Carissa Mulder

[NetAddicted]

Same-sex marriage may pose a grave threat to religious liberty, but the cultural conditions and assumptions that make that threat possible are rooted in heterosexual behavior and the idea that everyone has a right to consequence-free sexual intimacy. Last November marked the twentieth anniversary of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. At an event hosted by the Newseum and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, RFRA’s champions shared stories of how the statute came into being and the long odds it had to overcome. Though no one was resting on his or her laurels, there was a general sense of a job well-done. And then Douglas Laycock, one of the primary architects of RFRA, began to speak. He warned that millions of Americans view religious liberty as their enemy because they resent religion’s interference in their sex lives. Even though RFRA is a “super statute,” it will offer religious believers little protection if the nation turns against religious liberty. Statutes can be repealed. Courts can empty them of their meaning. Laycock’s warning may seem overwrought, but consider just a few news items. In New Mexico, multiple organs of state government have said that a Christian photographer violated the law by refusing to photograph a same-sex wedding. In Colorado, a Christian baker was sued because he refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, and in Washington State a florist was sued for the same reason. Christian nurses in New Jersey were required to assist with abortions or risk losing their jobs. And of course, there is the nationwide HHS contraception mandate.

How did we get here? People commonly point to the gay rights movement.

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

Tolerance is how we got here. We tolerant because the Bible has been used against us, judge not lest ye be judged, does not mean that we should not condemn sin, that is condoning it. That is the lie we have been fed, to be tolerant is to be a nice person. It is the exact opposite. We have become our own worse enemies by not speaking out against evil. God will judge us and find us wanting and so we that have sown the wind will reap the whirlwind.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I still remember the late 70's and early 80's when living in sin was still looked down upon. There were lots of arguments. The Christians usually won the argument, but the cohabitors just shut up (or cried) and then went away and cohabited anyway.

We were not tolerant of living in sin in the 70's. We made our thoughts known. They were listened to, argued against, and then ignored.

Those who live in sin may know deep in their hearts that they are in the wrong, but the lure of their sins is too great for them to give them up. They would rather live with sin and a guilty conscience, then no sin and a clean conscience.

Now, lucky them, they get to sin AND have a clean conscience. How special.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I went to a talk by Bill Baird who was an early advocate of universal access to birth control and abortion.

He was a real piece of work. The way he manipulated the room was a wonder to see. Maybe he really believed that he was doing the right thing, but he seemed like a consummate salesman who was running a traveling medicine show of sorts and milking it for all it was worth.

[sphinx]

bttt

[Thorliveshere]

At my work, I was forced to make a gay wedding invitation. It sickened me to the stomach. I vocalized my objections, was yelled at by the job coordinator to get it done or I’d have my a** fired. I talked to the boss. He was a little more understanding of my views, but asked me to do it anyway. I did, just to get it out of my hair, but I’m just disgusted and now there’s a lot of tension in my workplace.

Yay. Great times.