Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate dove deep into the topic on most everyone’s lips this week, telling “Face the Nation” on Sunday that when it comes to religious freedom and discrimination, “tolerance is a two-way street.”
Indiana, particularly its governor, has been under fire over the passage of a religious freedom law written primarily to protect businesses from being forced to participate in activities they find objectionable. After a deluge of criticism saying that the law could allow discrimination against gays, the legislation’s language was quickly clarified.
In his interview Santorum distinguished between discriminating against a person and declining to take part or contribute directly to an activity that one’s faith indicates is wrong.
“No business should discriminate … because of who you are,” Santorum said. “But it should have the ability to say, ‘We’re not going to participate in certain activities that we disagree with on a religious point of view.’”
Then Santorum offered a hypothetical situation.
“If you’re a print shop and you are a gay man, should you be forced to print ‘God Hates F**s’ for the Westboro Baptist Church because they hold those signs up?” he asked. “Should the government force you to do that? And that’s what these cases are all about. This is about the government coming in and saying, ‘No, we’re going to make you do this.’ And his is where I think we just need some space to say, ‘Let’s have some tolerance (and) be a two-way street.”
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16 comments:
Can't stand westboro, but its a two way street, so I say yes
Don't think so. If you are trying to compare the pizza girl to this, that is a ridiculous comparison. The pizza girl was asked to make a non offensive pizza. I am not anywhere near gay but if some idiot came into my store with arequest for that tee shirt, I would say no and then kick his over zealous religious ass out of my store.
Absolutely. It's not rocket science. You either believe in the First Amendment or you don't. You don't pick and choose what parts of it you like unless of course, if you are some primitive imbecile who is too damn ignorant to know the difference between discrimination and the freedom of expression and the right to practice your faith.
No 1:36 she was not asked to make a "non offensive pizza." She was asked if she would participate in something-gay wedding- which she felt was against her beliefs to participate in.
The comparison is not ridiculous. If the gay print shops balks about making the signs for WBC it's because it's against their beliefs to do so.
There couldn't be a better comparison.
Making a business participate in something they don't want to because it is against their beliefs is bring back Jim Crow laws. We are regressing by to an uncivilized nation. Blacks had no recourse when they had to use different water fountains, had to use back entrances to businesses, had to sit at the back of the bus. They had to do it. No recourse allowed by law.
The religious freedom laws give people the right to defend themselves for refusing to participate in something they feel is against their faith.
1:41 Riiiigggghhhhhttttt... that's what the christians pansies are doing. Since the rules/laws of their book are now dictating state laws, I welcome the rules/laws of the quran to be allowed as well. It's only fair right?
No they aren't 1:54. This is the problem we got people like you who have no idea what these laws are even all about offering up their opinion.
Name ONE state law ANYWHERE or federal law that their "book" is dictating.
Go ahead name just one-I'll be waiting.
If anything it is the liberals who are using Biblical principles when they look to create laws. Perfect example is their aversion to capital punishment. Eye for an eye type quotes are in the Old Testament but when Jesus arrived all changed and people were told to forgive the sinner and have mercy on them but don't condone the sin.
You got it 1:54, they keep pushing this stuff and it will lead us directly to Sharia Law.
The government shouldn't force anyone to go against their beliefs and a government who believes in this country and what it was founded on wouldn't.
If they are going to force someone to participate in something their belief system tells them is wrong then they should enforce it across the board.
What has our country turned into?
yes. Its the same thing as the cake baker in the Midwest who is being forced to make the cake for a gay couple. You can not have your cake and eat your ice cream too.
It is not just baking the cake but they want them at the wedding with the cake! The baker does not want to participate in the wedding in any manner. Same with the florist, the couple wanted the florist there to set the flowers up and move them to the reception there by forcing them to participate in the wedding! The florist offered them free flowers but would not go to the weddiing with them, they could pick them up but that was not good enough! These people want to force the business to participate actively as though they endorse gay marrige when they don't.
It would be like asking the Government to follow a balanced budget.
No business should be forced to provide any product or service they don't want to, for any reason at all. The beauty of a free market unencumbered by meddling government interference, is that it simply creates opportunity for another business to provide it instead.
These people who deliberately try to make "an incident" out of it, knowingly, deserve to have their feathers ruffled. It's not like there aren't other businesses who will bake a cake or provide flowers for their wedding.
I am Mormon, and I believe I need 2 wives, yet the government says I can't, where is my freedom?
Point is, religion is governed, against the 1st. Amendment.
capitalism. either you want to make money or you don't. separate your money from your religion and you will be fine.
12:30 Your right to your religious beliefs and to worship as you choose are protected by the 1st Amendment. No such protections exist for religious practices that are otherwise illegal.
Beliefs = protected
Actions = not so protected
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