My Rights!

I have god given right to discriminate!

At one time the courts held a doctrine of the neutrality of the law when it came to “religious freedom,” it was that a law didn’t infringe on the First Amendment if the law was religiously neutral. For an example, taxes. The courts have ruled that you have to pay taxes even if so of your taxes are going to the military, the Quakers have sued over paying taxes but the tax laws were found to be religiously neutral.

Now we come to the non-discrimination laws, they are religiously neutral you cannot discriminate against someone because of certain protected classes, such as their religion, race, or nationality.

Bipartisan Arizona lawmakers to introduce bill to protect against LGBT discrimination
The Hill
By Monique Beals
February 7, 2022


Arizona lawmakers announced on Monday that they would introduce legislation to protect gay and transgender people from discrimination at the hands of businesses, landlords and employers.

The anti-discrimination legislation comes from a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including the state's Republican House Speaker, Russell Bowers.

"The coalition supporting this are people from so many walks of life coming together based on values of fairness and freedom for all," Rep. Amish Shah (D), who is one of the bill's main sponsors, said on Monday at a press conference announcing the legislation. 

The legislation prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in places of work and public accommodation as well as in housing matters. Religious institutions would be exempt from the policy but not individuals who claim that their faith prevents them from serving certain customers, according to The Associated Press. 

Why are they opposed to the legislation?

Because they feel that they have a god given right to discriminate against people.

Religious institutions are exempt but not their believers that is the sticking point.

Arizona is not alone in this battle over religious freedoms, Utah is also have trouble over religious exemptions.

How Arizona’s new anti-discrimination bill aims to protect gay rights and religion
The “Equality and Fairness for All Arizonans” bill builds upon a Utah law passed in 2015
The Deseret News
By Kelsey Dallas
February 7, 2022


A bipartisan group of lawmakers, business leaders, pastors and gay rights advocates came together Monday at the Arizona Capitol to push for passage of a new LGBTQ rights bill that would also protect houses of worship and other religious institutions.

“This is not about special treatment; it’s about equal treatment and opportunity for all. Nobody should live in fear ... simply for who they are or who they love,” said state Rep. Amish Shah, a Democrat who is sponsoring the bill, during Monday’s press conference.

Republican Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers, who is a co-sponsor, described the legislation as a chance to choose unity and understanding over conflict and anger.

They got their inspiration from Utah.

The new bill also holds much in common with the federal “Fairness for All” Act, which is currently awaiting action in the U.S. House, as well as a Utah law protecting gay, lesbian and transgender residents from discrimination in housing and hiring. That law, which is commonly known as the Utah Compromise, passed in 2015.

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have previously spoken in support of those two measures. On Monday, they released a statement in favor of the new Arizona bill.

[…]

Supporters of Utah’s approach to balancing gay rights and religious freedom have long called on other states to follow its lead. However, compromise efforts have been complicated by growing partisan conflict, as well as some policymakers’ interest in waiting on the Supreme Court to offer guidance on how states should proceed.

As I mentioned in the past non-discrimination laws were found to be legal because the law covered everyone equally and granted exemptions to religious organizations to practice their religion in their houses of worship. However, that is all changing!

In a string of recent cases involving religious freedom laws and discrimination claims, the court has emphasized the importance of allowing people of faith to live according to their beliefs. But the justices have also called for respect for members of the LGBTQ community and refused to say definitively that religious freedom trumps LGBTQ rights.

The Supreme Court has “left the door open for a more nuanced discussion,” said Robin Maril, a visiting assistant professor of law at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, to the Deseret News last year.

Also consider in the past the courts have allowed individuals to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in mot serving LGBTQ+ people. The courts have also ruled that there can be no test of a person’s beliefs; if I say that it violates my religious beliefs it must be true.

Keep this in mind.

The discussion is now over LGBTQ+ rights, but could a person say the same thing about race? That I should be allowed to discriminate against a Black person because it is my firmly held religious beliefs to not serve a Black person, or an interracial couple, or a Muslim, or a…

When you open that can of worms a person could say that about anything and be exempt from the laws, it is my god given right to discriminate!