Discrimination and the Christian Right

[AvantGuardHoya]

As the observance of the day to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. takes place I'd like to share an interesting and thought provoking article which I suspect could lead to a lively debate on the points it discusses:

www.salon.com/2016/01/16/this_is_the_religious_rights_radical_new_plan_the_very_real_efforts_to_create_an_american_theocracy_in_plain_sight/

“When Exemption is the Rule: The Religious Freedom Strategy of the Christian Right,” published by Political Research Associates on Jan. 12, was written by Frederick Clarkson, PRA’s Senior Fellow for Religious Liberty, author of “Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy” and co-founder of the blog Talk to Action. The title highlights a key aspect of the religious right’s long-term strategy, taking the time-honored principle of religious exemption, intended to protect the individual right of conscience, and expanding it recklessly to apply to whole institutions, even for-profit businesses—as seen in the Supreme Court’s 2014 Hobby Lobby decision, in a process designed to fragment the common public sphere and carve out vast segments of American life where civil rights, labor law and other core protections simply do not apply....

“When Christian Right leaders talk about religious liberty, they often really mean theocratic supremacism of their own religious beliefs inscribed in government,” Clarkson points out. The report presents a detailed account of how their Orwellian agenda is unfolding, combining up-to-the-minute analysis of recent developments with an historical account dating back to the 1970s and the birth of the modern-day religious right, defending Bob Jones University’s “right to discriminate,” based on religion. As noted in the report:

As recently as the 1980s, Christian Right activists defended racial segregation by claiming that restrictions on their ability to discriminate violated their First Amendment right to religious freedom….

Instead of African Americans being discriminated against by Bob Jones, the university argued it was the party being discriminated against in being prevented from executing its First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court disagreed….

[quickplay]

Well yeah, it's a bigoted, racist, hateful movement. The fact that they don't like when that's pointed out doesn't make it untrue.

[kchoya]

Jan 17, 2016 11:22:52 GMT -5 AvantGuardHoya said:

As the observance of the day to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. takes place I'd like to share an interesting and thought provoking article which I suspect could lead to a lively debate on the points it discusses:

www.salon.com/2016/01/16/this_is_the_religious_rights_radical_new_plan_the_very_real_efforts_to_create_an_american_theocracy_in_plain_sight/

“When Exemption is the Rule: The Religious Freedom Strategy of the Christian Right,” published by Political Research Associates on Jan. 12, was written by Frederick Clarkson, PRA’s Senior Fellow for Religious Liberty, author of “Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy” and co-founder of the blog Talk to Action. The title highlights a key aspect of the religious right’s long-term strategy, taking the time-honored principle of religious exemption, intended to protect the individual right of conscience, and expanding it recklessly to apply to whole institutions, even for-profit businesses—as seen in the Supreme Court’s 2014 Hobby Lobby decision, in a process designed to fragment the common public sphere and carve out vast segments of American life where civil rights, labor law and other core protections simply do not apply....

“When Christian Right leaders talk about religious liberty, they often really mean theocratic supremacism of their own religious beliefs inscribed in government,” Clarkson points out. The report presents a detailed account of how their Orwellian agenda is unfolding, combining up-to-the-minute analysis of recent developments with an historical account dating back to the 1970s and the birth of the modern-day religious right, defending Bob Jones University’s “right to discriminate,” based on religion. As noted in the report:

As recently as the 1980s, Christian Right activists defended racial segregation by claiming that restrictions on their ability to discriminate violated their First Amendment right to religious freedom….

Instead of African Americans being discriminated against by Bob Jones, the university argued it was the party being discriminated against in being prevented from executing its First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court disagreed….

Excuse me if I don't exactly fall hook, line and sinker for anything coming from that source. Salon.com? C'mon.

[hoyainspirit]

Jan 17, 2016 12:08:49 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Jan 17, 2016 11:22:52 GMT -5 AvantGuardHoya said:

As the observance of the day to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. takes place I'd like to share an interesting and thought provoking article which I suspect could lead to a lively debate on the points it discusses:

www.salon.com/2016/01/16/this_is_the_religious_rights_radical_new_plan_the_very_real_efforts_to_create_an_american_theocracy_in_plain_sight/

“When Exemption is the Rule: The Religious Freedom Strategy of the Christian Right,” published by Political Research Associates on Jan. 12, was written by Frederick Clarkson, PRA’s Senior Fellow for Religious Liberty, author of “Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy” and co-founder of the blog Talk to Action. The title highlights a key aspect of the religious right’s long-term strategy, taking the time-honored principle of religious exemption, intended to protect the individual right of conscience, and expanding it recklessly to apply to whole institutions, even for-profit businesses—as seen in the Supreme Court’s 2014 Hobby Lobby decision, in a process designed to fragment the common public sphere and carve out vast segments of American life where civil rights, labor law and other core protections simply do not apply....

“When Christian Right leaders talk about religious liberty, they often really mean theocratic supremacism of their own religious beliefs inscribed in government,” Clarkson points out. The report presents a detailed account of how their Orwellian agenda is unfolding, combining up-to-the-minute analysis of recent developments with an historical account dating back to the 1970s and the birth of the modern-day religious right, defending Bob Jones University’s “right to discriminate,” based on religion. As noted in the report:

As recently as the 1980s, Christian Right activists defended racial segregation by claiming that restrictions on their ability to discriminate violated their First Amendment right to religious freedom….

Instead of African Americans being discriminated against by Bob Jones, the university argued it was the party being discriminated against in being prevented from executing its First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court disagreed….

Excuse me if I don't exactly fall hook, line and sinker for anything coming from that source. Salon.com? C'mon.

Is that all you've got? C'mon.

[kchoya]

Jan 17, 2016 13:54:13 GMT -5 hoyainspirit said:

Jan 17, 2016 12:08:49 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Excuse me if I don't exactly fall hook, line and sinker for anything coming from that source. Salon.com? C'mon.

Is that all you've got? C'mon.

Sorry if I don't bow down at a paper published by an organization whose stated goal is "Challenging the Right, Advancing Social Justice."

[hoyainspirit]

Jan 17, 2016 13:59:57 GMT -5 kchoya said:

Jan 17, 2016 13:54:13 GMT -5 hoyainspirit said:

Is that all you've got? C'mon.

Sorry if I don't bow down at a paper published by an organization whose stated goal is "Challenging the Right, Advancing Social Justice."

You don't have to bow down, kc. What quickplay said above.

But I understand your point. When Ed posts something from Breibart, I roll my eyes. Again, though, what quickplay said.