Religious Liberty now allows some to be Above the Law

Well here we go. Some of us called it months ago when the Hobby Lobby Verdict and the Religious Freedom Act went through but were told, "Don't worry, it won't leak into other areas.....bla bla bla." But it did, just like we all knew it would. How sad to see this once great SECULAR Nation turn not just into a Corporate Police State but now with touch of a Theocracy thrown in for good measure as well. What a massive fail we are as a nation and a people. We have completely failed in every way to hold on to our Once Great Republic Experiment.

Judge Cites Hobby Lobby To Excuse Fundamentalist Mormon From Child Labor Testimony

Less than three months after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg warned about the widespread repercussions of the Supreme Court’s majority decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, a federal judge in Utah has cited the controversial ruling in his decision to excuse a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from testifying in a child labor investigation.

Citing the Supreme Court’s June ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which allows closely held corporations to opt out of providing contraception coverage for their employees based on religious objections, Sam argued that forcing Steed to answer the Labor Department's questions would place a “substantial burden” on his religious beliefs.

This case sounds like it's far away from an insurance issue.

But the 1st does apply.

“substantial burden” *is* “substantial burden”.



Waiting for the diversions and tangents.........

Yes, we knew when religious folks were accusing gay people of wanting "special rights", they were just jealous. Now, the religious actually DO have special rights and they seem to be absolutely fine with it! Imagine that! Religious hypocrisy!

From your source:

In addition to alleged child labor violations, numerous members of the secretive polygamous sect have also been charged for sexual offenses against young girls, included forced underage marriages.

Hey! It's OK if they want to have sex with little girls! Their religion says it's OK.

The group's former president, Warren Jeff, is currently serving a life sentence for pedophilia, sexual assault and incest, among other sex crimes.

He should probably be let free. He was just practicing his religion!

The government has been bowing to Christianity since WELL before this ruling. "In God We Trust" "One nation under God" "So help me God". The Hobby Lobby ruling is just the latest example of the breaking of separation of church and state. That's all.

a reply to: mOjOm

Well Ted Cruz's dad said he wants his son and company to turn America into a "Christian Nation".



Many of these Christian Fanatics' ideas are disturbingly close to the Taliban in terms of ideology.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

You're right. Religion has been forcing its way into the law for many years. They should be allowed to break the law in any way they see fit. It's their religion, after all. It stands ABOVE the law. Religious people are above the law.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

The worst is that when atheists or the religious other than Christianity tries to dismantle this religious bias, the Christians claim we are attacking them and their religious freedom. THEN those same Christians get outraged when a bunch of Satanists want to do something Satan related in a public setting or get all bent out of shape about Sharia Law (despite advocating for their own version of it which is more than just a little ironic).

a reply to: Krazysh0t

They are the most persecuted people on the planet, don't you know? www.abovetopsecret.com...

Well that's it.
I'm starting a God D##ed church.

I think it will be a Rastafarian Sect that doesn't believe in paying any taxes what so ever.

Anyone want to sign up? I need 21 followers I think, to be legal.

I think it will be called The Church of Whatever©

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Heh. Yea I've seen that line of reasoning before which is usually accompanied by a No True Scotsman fallacy when someone points out the atrocities that Christians are responsible for (They aren't REAL Christians or somesuch).

This really has nothing to do with the hobby lobby ruling. The judge was just lazy.
The Amish have been dodging child labor laws for years citing religious freedom.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
The worst is that when atheists or the religious other than Christianity tries to dismantle this religious bias, the Christians claim we are attacking them and their religious freedom.

That's what makes this kind of Ironic actually. In fact I wonder how the Christian Majority will handle it since in this case it was the Mormon Church. Christian Fundies don't usually like anyone else taking the lead in exploiting the system for added benefits. It's like having another gang muscle in on your racket.

After all this is a Christian Nation not a Mormon one. How dare they think they should have the same Liberties as the Christians!!! Next thing ya know we'll be giving the Muslims some Freedoms too.

a reply to: mOjOm

Mormons follow Christ. They are Christians.

“We are Christians in a very real sense and that is coming to be more and more widely recognized.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pray and worship in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith and the head of our Church. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ and witnesses of His divinity, His life, and His Atonement.”

Mormon FAQ

Of course, non-Mormon Christians will say that Mormons don't belong to their club, but they say Catholics aren't "really" Christians, either... It's a whole big thing...

Well, stop whining and designate atheism as a religion and then you can do it too.

Alternately, become journalists and shelter under freedom of press laws.

a reply to: ketsuko

Well, stop whining and designate atheism as a religion and then you can do it too.

Is that what we really want? Should our laws be voluntary?

originally posted by: ketsuko
Well, stop whining and designate atheism as a religion and then you can do it too.

I don't want to "do it, too". That would be an EXTREME exercise of hypocrisy. I believe in EQUAL protection under the laws, not hiding behind religion to exercise my bigotry and prejudices.

Religion should be private. They need to stfu about it already.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

Of course, non-Mormon Christians will say that Mormons don't belong to their club, but they say Catholics aren't "really" Christians, either... It's a whole big thing...

That's exactly my point. Hell, even some other Christians aren't Christians to some Christians as we know. Crazy!!

Well, stop whining and designate atheism as a religion and then you can do it too.

NO!!! I'm not joining the ranks of what is wrong just because I get something out of it. That would mean selling out the principles of Equal Protection Under the Law and also becoming a huge hypocrite as well. I'll leave that to the Religiously Minded folks who support this kind of lunacy, thanks all the same.

Don't knock the supreme courts decision. They were the ones that said the affordable care act was constitutional so how can you doubt their judgement..

They need to be obliterated immediately before its too late.

a reply to: FinalCountdown

So you think Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia was Jesus or God? And that homosexuality is a sin? Since that wont work if you dont even believe your own religion. So Rasta is out.