Second-tier religion, huh?
Cross-posted from cluegirl 's LJ, HERE:
During the course of the case, the CDCR, other related defendants, and the Assistant Attorneys General who represents them have argued before the court that Pagans are not deserving of equal civil rights as are provided adherents of the preferred faiths. In one of their first arguments to the court, the defendants said that certain "traditional" faiths are first tier faiths and that those faiths were meant to have equal rights and protections under the United States Constitution, but that all of the other faiths, for example, Hindus, Pagans, Buddhists, Sikhs, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jains, are second tier faiths deserving of lesser rights, and therefore are not meant to have the same equal rights and protections under the United States Constitution as the first tier faiths.
Okay, read the article it's linked to. Then read the articles and sources linked through that first link. Take a look and see what this is all about. Basically, this assholes want to re-define the term "religion" in the legal sense to only include the religions that they deem worthy or acceptable, on the grounds that they claim the founding fathers only meant the Abrahamic faiths when referring to religion. Everybody else... sorry! Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists... OUT OF THE POOL!
Do I think any court will actually state that there are second-tier religions in this country? I want to say no, but I don't want to be complacent about the notion. There are wingnuts in this country who really do believe that certain religions should be legally designated to second-class status, or even forbidden.
PLEASE REMEMBER that the wingnuts to whom I am referring here are a sub-set of Christians, not all of them, not by a long shot. DO NOT BASH ALL CHRISTIANS ON MY LIVEJOURNAL. But please, feel free to discuss this form of bigoted extremism that's being so openly displayed in efforts such as this one.
PLEASE cross-post. People need to know that cases like this are happening. This is the sort of case that could lead to religious discrimination and bigotry on this continent on a level we've not seen since the Salem Witch Trials. Wait... I'm wrong. The recent President Bush declared that Pagan religions weren't real religions and shouldn't be allowed to be practiced on military bases. *shrugs* I guess bigotry never quite goes out of fashion, huh?
During the course of the case, the CDCR, other related defendants, and the Assistant Attorneys General who represents them have argued before the court that Pagans are not deserving of equal civil rights as are provided adherents of the preferred faiths. In one of their first arguments to the court, the defendants said that certain "traditional" faiths are first tier faiths and that those faiths were meant to have equal rights and protections under the United States Constitution, but that all of the other faiths, for example, Hindus, Pagans, Buddhists, Sikhs, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jains, are second tier faiths deserving of lesser rights, and therefore are not meant to have the same equal rights and protections under the United States Constitution as the first tier faiths.
Okay, read the article it's linked to. Then read the articles and sources linked through that first link. Take a look and see what this is all about. Basically, this assholes want to re-define the term "religion" in the legal sense to only include the religions that they deem worthy or acceptable, on the grounds that they claim the founding fathers only meant the Abrahamic faiths when referring to religion. Everybody else... sorry! Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists... OUT OF THE POOL!
Do I think any court will actually state that there are second-tier religions in this country? I want to say no, but I don't want to be complacent about the notion. There are wingnuts in this country who really do believe that certain religions should be legally designated to second-class status, or even forbidden.
PLEASE REMEMBER that the wingnuts to whom I am referring here are a sub-set of Christians, not all of them, not by a long shot. DO NOT BASH ALL CHRISTIANS ON MY LIVEJOURNAL. But please, feel free to discuss this form of bigoted extremism that's being so openly displayed in efforts such as this one.
PLEASE cross-post. People need to know that cases like this are happening. This is the sort of case that could lead to religious discrimination and bigotry on this continent on a level we've not seen since the Salem Witch Trials. Wait... I'm wrong. The recent President Bush declared that Pagan religions weren't real religions and shouldn't be allowed to be practiced on military bases. *shrugs* I guess bigotry never quite goes out of fashion, huh?