Religious exceptions on the job

You have it pegged, Alcott.

I believe anyone should be able to discriminate against whomever they want for whatever reason in their own private business.

Public/governmental entities are separate from this though.

If a racist wants to only cater to other racists, then he should have that right. That's his conscience and his services being provided. Same with a Muslim, or a Christian, or a married couple, or a fat, red-headed boy from Texas.

If I own a business and only want to conduct business with other fat, red-headed boys from Texas, no one has any right to tell me any different. If that business plan fails, then so be it. There will always be someone else offering similar services to a wider range of people and willing to accomodate anyone and everyone. They will make more money than me, and I might go out of business for lack of customers, but that is my right.

I have freedom of thought and I'm free to believe whatever I want.

Salty, I don't see how the government could make the case against anyone. All the cabbie would have to say is "I didn't see the black guy before I stopped for the white guy." It's an idiotic thing to try and proclaim what someone was thinking at a particular moment. That's why I also do not believe in hate-crime legislation.

 

3-page warning: This thread will be closed no sooner than 3:00 a.m. ET by one of the moderators.

Lady Eagle

 

I am surprised you can see no difference. One involves the killing of a human baby (in the mind of the hypothetical OB/GYN) and the other does not.

Even if one maintains cleanliness laws, those laws have remedies if one becomes "unclean".

It is hard to think of a remedy for knowing you just killed a baby. I guess it might help if you refered to the baby as a "fetus" or a "zygote" or something like that. That might help take the sting out of the midnight meditations.

peace to youraying:

 

Except the government. For example, a retail store is seen as a place of public accommodation, and cannot discriminate based on a number of things, race included. Yes, it would be your business, but you are subject to federal, state and local statutes that limit your absolute freedom.

 

And that is ludicrous. The government has no right, whether they may think they do or not, to interfere in my, for the purposes of this thread, "fantasy prejudice" of any one for any reason.

Should a landlord be forced by the government to rent his house to an unwed couple?

Should the KKK (or Black Panthers for that matter) be forced by the government to admit races other than their own into their organization?

Should a professional baseball team be forced by the government to include a wheelchair-bound 2nd baseman on its team?

I can not understand what business it is of the government's to tell anyone who they may or may not discrminate against, whether in their private club, their church, or their home.

The problem in this country for so many years was that the government condoned and instituted discriminatory policies against people. They are now discriminating against people who want to discriminate by forcing laws against discrimination down their throats.

This would be a greater country if the government (federal, state, local, and any other kind) was completely anti-discriminatory in its deeds and actions, yet allowed others their freedom of conscience to decide the matter for themselves in their own private lives and businesses.

Trust me when I say, there are enough true capitalists in this country that any negative side effects would be majorly off-set by those who would cater to all groups. That would allow the those people to be rewarded for their personal anti-discriminatory policies, and allow the others to maintain their personal freedom in catering to whatever group of people they wish.

We had a local lawncare company a year or two ago who advertised that they only wanted to mow for professed Christians. Of course, this caused a big stink with many folks. My question is, why would a non-Christian, or a "conscientios" Christian, want to pay someone like that to work for them? If they didn't admit publically about their prejudice against non-Christians, would that make it less true?

If I am a racist who is forced to pick up black people in my cab, does it make my racism any better if I pick them up but still hate them? I would think that a racist person would be avoided by other races of people, rather than them willingly turning over their money to ride in his cab.

There is a funny song played once in a while on a local 80's rock music station called The Tolerance Song. The song goes along the whole way talking about everyone who should not be discriminated against, and that they singer loves every kind of person, until the end when he says the only people he can't tolerate are people who are intolerant of others.

This seems to be the way our government functions.

 

In my view, Yes and Yes.

If a grocer wants to cater to kosher people, then they should. If they don't, then they shouldn't.

If a pharmacy wants to stock birth control pills, then they should. If they they don't, then they shouldn't.

Notice I am not talking about an employed cashier at the grocers or an employed pharmacist at the pharmacy. If what the owners of their stores sell conflicts with their beliefs, then quit and go work for the kosher grocer or the "no birth control" pharmacy. Employees can not dictate what their employer does or does not sell. Start a competing grocer or pharmacy. This country is built on competition.

 

The flaw in your thinking is that when society at large has discriminatory beliefs, it results in massive discrimination without recourse. The government must step in.

What if every landlord in town hated people named "Reed", and you needed a place to live? What if every grocer had the same prejudice, and refused to sell you food? Under your scenario, Lester Maddox had every right to chase out black people from his restaurant with an axe handle, as he did in Georgia.

If you serve the public, I fully agree with anti discrimination laws. If you own real estate and don't want to rent to an unmarried couple, then don't rent out the property. Fair Housing requirements are in place for a legitimate reason. You are doing a business transaction, and have no business judging those who meet legally established criteria.

All capitalism has some regulation. Food manufacturers must meet government requirements for health & sanitation. Airlines must keep meticulous maintenance records. Radio stations must keep program and operations logs. Truckers must not drive over the time limit without sleep. Restaurants must not serve alcohol to underage patrons. In some states, exotic dancers must wear pasties. If you are in business, you must have tax collection certificates. You must give your employees breaks and lunch breaks if they work certain numbers of hours. There are limits to absolute freedom, even in capitalistic societies like the U.S.

If all people treated others as Christ taught us to do, these laws would be unnecessary. Given man's sinful state, some people must be compelled to do right. This makes a more fair & just society.

 

Closed per previous notice. LE