A short lesson in Religious Liberty for all you heathens out there.

[Sparkly]

1. Some people believe homosexuality is against God's will according to the Bible. Other people have a different belief. The first group should have the right to impose their belief on the second group. This preserves religious liberty.

2. Some people believe (despite facts) that America was founded as a "Christian nation" and therefore Christianity should be part of public laws and policies. Others, of various religious persuasions, believe in a founding principle to worship or not as one chooses. The first group should have the right to impose their belief on the second group. This preserves religious freedom.

3. Some people believe abortion is murder. Others believe abortion is not murder. Since this is a matter of faith and belief rather than science, the first group should be able to make their belief the law of the land. This is religious tolerance. It's so important to preserve our individual rights and keep the government out of our lives.

From these examples, you can extrapolate the meaning of "religious liberty," "religious tolerance," and "religious freedom" as they apply to Christian prayer in public institutions, Biblical monuments in public places, and the importance of Christian beliefs among political leaders.

Now then.

Some people, such as a huge majority of women, use or have used contraceptives; this is okay with their religious beliefs, so they think a healthcare law to make sure insurance companies cover it is fine.

OH MY GOD!! What if some people in some institutions don't believe the insurance company should cover it because they believe God said so, somewhere?!? I mean, a bishop has every right to make sure the church secretary is not having sex with contraception that she didn't pay for out of pocket!! This insurance company policy thing is a terrible, intolerant reach into religious freedom and liberty!!

You're welcome. I'm glad we've cleared this up.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I think this is a graphic of that lesson.

http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/wpswi/

[russspeakeasy]

3. Little boys don't get pregnant..

[get the red out]

6. Yea, but if women don't

Then there won't be a steady enough supply of little boys!

[truedelphi]

8. I don't know if it is helpful or unhelpful to

Point out that a recent Bishop of the archdiocese of Santa Rosa Calif. blackmailed a young priest into having sex with him, and the agreement was, as long s the sex was good, the financial embezzling that occurred was kept quiet.

And of course, there have been priests who have had the teen aged girls they impregnated get an abortion, to "make things easier for God."

But if someone is sitting on the fence, trying to figure out if the "leaders of the Catholic Church" have any integrity or authority to speak to us "mere mortals" on behalf of God, these things should be considered.

[angorarocks]

2. Logical Gaps and Blind Eyes

It seems that you're saying that religious freedoms somehow deserve more attention than regular freedoms, of choice and liberty etc. I think people should be able to believe whatever they like, but when a choice is made for an entire group of people (eg. Our nation), the most rationally based, just, and compassionate choice should be made for everyone. And that usually should mean NOT the choice of the Christian fundamentalist sect.

Also, on another note, why are you all so stuck on homosexuals? Aren't Jews and masturbators (and many many others) going to hell too? So why are you making such a big fuss about homosexuality in particular?

Also, have you ever though about how the definition of abortion as murder relies on how one defines a human life? This absolutely has to do with science, and philosophy and many other very complex things. You can't just give it all up to "faith and belief" and not think about the actual issues involved. That's irresponsible and ridiculously ignorant. as is most of what you're saying.

[Sparkly]

4. Welcome to DU.

Look up "satire," "sarcasm," and "irony" before reading further.

Thanks.

[moriah]

10. I think your post passed the "A Modest Proposal" test

Good satire is always taken seriously by at least one person.

Well done!

[radical noodle]

5. I think the post was meant to be sarcastic

Maybe I'm wrong, but I took it to illustrate the stupidity of the outcry about RCC businesses being required to furnish insurance that covers women's health issues.

[DiverDave]

7. I can sum it up better

mind your own beeswax.
works for most issues.
Or, as I tell em, it's none of YOUR business.

[IndyJones]

9. If men could get men pregnant, Bishops would be all over paying for birth control.

Just sayin'.

[truebrit71]

14. If men got pregnant the right to choose would be in the Constitution...

...Probably article 1...

[Tsiyu]

11. Ah! This heathen GETS it at last

I must show religious tolerance and deference to a bunch of people who model their lives on the Dark Ages, who follow a bunch of men wearing curtains. Even if I don't believe in anybody wearing drapery ever.

I must allow women-hating, LGBT-hating, nonbeliever-hating people to continue hating, and allow them to inflict their "rules" on me, or they don't have religious liberty. My religious liberty is not as important as their religious liberty and their right to hate.

Something doesn't seem right about this arrangement.

I'll get back to you when I figure this out...

[Sparkly]

12. That's right.

When their religion dictates your life, liberty is alive and well!

That is why we can't interfere with the bishops' rights to make women have sex without birth control.

[Tsiyu]

13. I feel so free

just knowing that grown men in window dressings who aren't supposed to ever have sex get to tell the rest of us how WE are supposed to have sex.



Wait.



What?