By David Glenn Cox
“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them… Barry Goldwater
It is a story of political expediency and political machinery. Just by saying, “I’m on your side!” The gates of Jehovah swing open. It’s not like promising to build a highway or a school or a hospital, where four years later you must show some tangible progress. Pastors invite you to speak on Sunday and all the candidates has to do is smile and say, “I’m on your side.”
Religious people feel strongly about the contraception. All forms of Birth Control offend them. And if you think for a minute they’re finished. So, all a candidate need do is say, “I’m on your side.” And I can understand a religious person’s objection. It clearly violates their religious principles. Only, I’m not a member of that religion.
And the only basis for objection to Contraception/Abortion is religious. Medical necessity sometimes requires an Abortion, unfortunately it’s a hard fact of life. Sometimes real bad shit happens, and life really sucks for a while. With a book or without a book. It’s life and life only. And if I’m not a member of that religious belief then this is enforced state Religion. Under the laws of the state, you must adhere to this holy book. Like it or not. Religious freedom? Really?
I’m old enough to remember Sunday Blue Laws. I saw the manager of Woolco get arrested for being open on a Sunday. The cops lost in court and the Blue Laws were busted into smithereens. And then, everybody was open on Sunday. The ministers railed with talk of boycotts and picketing, but it all quickly ran out of steam. There was no reason to enforce hours on a store outside of Biblical. And Biblical ain’t good enough. I can work on Saturday, and drink and watch football on Sunday. It’s my life.
I respect a religious persons right to feel the way they do. If their religion says, “Don’t eat shellfish.” Abstain. But that’s a choice Americans are allowed to make for themselves individually. A fanatical mob has no right to enforce their will based upon religious books or theology. This an issue of medicine and privacy and nobody’s business but their own.
An issue impacting tens of thousands of people, men, and women and children that you’ll never know or hear about. People having difficult times, with or without a book. With or without enough money. But It’s their life and life is hard a damn enough. They know what’s going on in their own life and any medical decision should be theirs and theirs alone. Move over Jesus, I’m driving.
Jesus during his ministry never said anything about contraceptives or abortion for obvious reasons. Men in those times didn’t involve themselves in Women’s issues. Pretty cool policy, yeah? The disciples came a running when they heard Jesus had rolled his stone. But see, they were told of the good news by women. And well, who can trust them? So, the disciples had to go look for themselves before they accepted that Jesus had actually risen from the dead, lest they were being punked…again.
According to the Bible, life is sacred unless of course you happen to catch God on a bad day. He’ll send plagues, wars, and famines he doesn’t give a damn about those little children. He’ll send a flood and drown everybody if he’s in the mood. Children are never exempted. Plagues and pandemics have never exempted children but instead showed a partiality for them. It would seem a God who loves children so much would be a little kinder towards them. Either God is unkind, or God is not there.
We see the pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope, and it appears our cosmos is older and more complicated than we first imagined. That’s how science works. When new knowledge is learned beliefs change. The Pope sentenced Galileo to house arrest for saying the earth rotated around the sun. A religious cult thrives on fanaticism, science relies on fact.
So, the Republicans have made it a necessity that judges throw out their impartiality and say, “I agree with you, fellas.” Because Judges are ambitious and want to get promoted too! And all that schooling is wasted if the ambitious can’t spot the short line to promotion.
The courts are supposed to be reactive not proactive. Courts decide legal cases they don’t use cherry picked legal cases to define and backstop religious principles. They just don’t. Any legal stunts and machinations to push a religious agenda on the courts delegitimizes and debases the courts and the church both. Politicians on both sides too afraid stand up and do what’s right.
The Governor of California is declaring war against Walgreen’s because Walgreen’s is being pressured by Reich Governors over an abortion drug. Dammed if they do and dammed if they don’t. Does anyone else smell the madness? A lawful business in the pursuit of their legal trade comes under government scrutiny for delivering a legal drug. Because it violates the religious beliefs of someone someplace. Government enforcement of law under color of a religion. How could that ever be legal?
Arson, clinic bombings, doctor murders, harassment and terrorism, attacking other Americans for the purpose of imposing their religious beliefs upon them. All for the love of Jesus of course.
An intergovernmental cabal of Biblical do gooders. Out to impose their religious dogma on everyone. Clerks that won’t give out marriage licenses to Gay couples on biblical grounds or won’t sell wedding cakes. How do these cases achieve such prominence? Somebody is paying their legal bills. All to push a political agenda through the courts based on a religious belief.
“He killed all those people — every male.
They had offended the Deity in some way. We know what the offense was, without looking; that is to say, we know it was a trifle; some small thing that no one but a god would attach any importance to. It is more than likely that a Midianite had been duplicating the conduct of one Onan, who was commanded to “go into his brother’s wife” — which he did; but instead of finishing, “he spilled it on the ground.” The Lord slew Onan for that, for the lord could never abide indelicacy…. Mark Twain
This Carbon Based Life 