Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Religious Liberty: S. Court, Georgia & Scare Quotes | National Catholic Reporter

Religious Liberty: S. Court, Georgia & Scare Quotes | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: The good news is that a solution is in sight on contraceptive coverage which reflects a compromise between the four liberal justices and the three moderate justices.  The bad news is what is left unsaid, that religious liberty and religious power are two separate things - and we are under no obligation to support the lattter - indeed, the government is not allowed to do so under the establishment clause.  The Governor of Georgia may understand that.  The businesses doing business in Georgia certainly do - if only because gay people are better customers than white evangelicals - although some of that is a class issue. The use of "scare quotes" shows the media understands the principle,but has not used the language - calling what religious people refer to as religious liberty as religious power (notice I did not say people of faith).



What should the bishops do?  Quit going after gays.  Support ENDA without a religious exemption (last I heard, the Catholic Church ordains celibate gays - and I suspect in the future will ordain non-celibate gays and lesbians who are married).  Polite society has essentially made up its mind on homosexuals.  The Church can either be inside or outside - but if they stay outside, most of the people in the pews will disagree.  I suspect the Pope will too.   Religious liberty has become the new abortion issue - except this time the wedge is going the other way.  This is entirely about conservative solidarity - which is a shambles in the Trump era.



(Private to MSW.  Homesexuality is not a sin unless it is lived out promiscuously).

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