Conscientious objectors and religious freedom
The Pope's comments about public officials having the right to be conscientious objectors on religious grounds has been used to defend Kim Davis and others (though not by him).
People seem to forget something. Conscientious objectors to military service have a choice of going to jail, or being put in a job that doesn't have them doing the things they object to.
It does *not* get the rules of the military or their job changed to suit them.
Kim Davis claims that status, but doesn't think she should go to jail, and she wants the duties of her job changed.
Sorry, those aren't the choices.
The ones she *actually* has, under the law are:
1. let her office issue licenses that use the same *unaltered* form as the rest of Kentucky, with her name in the blanks where it belongs.
2. step down from her office, she can go back to just being one of the deputy clerks (with the cut in pay and authority) and she can then not issue licenses as long as she doesn't stop the *other* clerks from issuing them.
3. quit
4. go to jail (again) for contempt of court.
My stance on religious freedom is that you have an absolute right to practice your faith. Right up to the point where you are trying to make *others* behave the way your faith dictates. At that point you are violating *their* religious freedom.
I can only hope that some day the Supreme Court can declare something similar rather than dancing around the issue. Hobby Lobby was a bad decision.
BTW, they are in trouble again...
Trans woman wins decision against Hobby Lobby
They haven't complied with the decision yet, either.
People seem to forget something. Conscientious objectors to military service have a choice of going to jail, or being put in a job that doesn't have them doing the things they object to.
It does *not* get the rules of the military or their job changed to suit them.
Kim Davis claims that status, but doesn't think she should go to jail, and she wants the duties of her job changed.
Sorry, those aren't the choices.
The ones she *actually* has, under the law are:
1. let her office issue licenses that use the same *unaltered* form as the rest of Kentucky, with her name in the blanks where it belongs.
2. step down from her office, she can go back to just being one of the deputy clerks (with the cut in pay and authority) and she can then not issue licenses as long as she doesn't stop the *other* clerks from issuing them.
3. quit
4. go to jail (again) for contempt of court.
My stance on religious freedom is that you have an absolute right to practice your faith. Right up to the point where you are trying to make *others* behave the way your faith dictates. At that point you are violating *their* religious freedom.
I can only hope that some day the Supreme Court can declare something similar rather than dancing around the issue. Hobby Lobby was a bad decision.
BTW, they are in trouble again...
Trans woman wins decision against Hobby Lobby
They haven't complied with the decision yet, either.