Since the country is in an uproar about religious freedom, I thought it would be appropriate for me to start a new religion. I think I'll call it Cassandraism. Cassandraism has but one central tenet: Stupidity is anathema. It would be bad to say that stupid people
are little more than dingleberries on the butthole of humanity, and need to be
eradicated at all costs, so I won't do that. I will say that Cassandraism maintains that stupidity is a choice. This has nothing to do with intellectual aptitude or cognitive prowess; the stupidity considered to be anathema by Cassandraism is the simple lack of, or failure to exercise, common sense.
For instance, Cassandraism will not approach a group of people who are attempting to abstain from their attachment to food and then coerce them to attend a banquet. It won't pretend to honor people by making them pay for tickets and then seat them in general seating while reserving a dais for people who are not honorees. In Cassandraism, when people do eat, they will will be trained to give thanks before doing so.
Cassandraism considers the "Religous Freedom Restoration Act" to be one of a myriad of social phenomena which show a lack of common sense. Of course everyone in America gets religious freedom. Yes, that freedom even allows us to discriminate. It does NOT, however, allow anyone to freely peddle that discrimination in public. We live in a world where people are different from us.
I happen to believe fervently and sincerely in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't happen to believe that Gospel needs me to capriciously shove it down people's throats, any more than I want, say, Scientologists proselytizing to me. So we sort of accept the idea that we'll adopt some common rules that allow us all to get along together. I can share my faith with you privately or in mutually-agreed-upon settings. It's sorta like driving. You can get on a private road or a specially designated roadway and do whatever you want, but on a public road there are rules you have to obey. I personally don't like the fact that I have to slow down for people who drive 45 mph in the left lane; I think the world would be a better place if I could run everyone off the road who uses a passing lane as a travel lane. But I abide by the rules of the road.
So it is with this Religious Freedom thing. If you serve a god who demands that you consider and judge other people's sexuality as a prerequisite to social interaction with them, you have every right to do that. You don't however, have the right to be out in public among civilized people, because that's not a civilized thought. First of all, if someone else's sexuality is a significant factor in your religious practices, you probably either need to ask them for a date or go find a good therapist. And if your judgement of their sexuality is a prerequisite to your being able to do business with them, I'd vote for that therapist...
Whatever the case, you get to believe and behave, within commonly accepted guidelines, any way you want. But you need to understand that all the people who don't believe or behave the way you do have just as many rights to their beliefs and behaviors as you -- sort of like how the person driving 45 mph in the left hand lane has just as much right to be there as I do, even though I'm going 80.
Now the rules of the highway say that people going at different speeds travel in different lanes, so they don't collide. These are some of those commonly accepted guidelines, sort of like the speed limit. It's an attempt to create a fairly common space on the highway -- those who need to go fast can do so; those who want to go slower can do so, but everyone moves ahead.
When you want to evaluate someone's sexuality before doing business with them, or if someone wanted to sacrifice a goat or a chicken before doing business with them, or if someone needed to do a coupla peyote buttons before doing business with others -- I suppose they could, but such actions are the equivalent of causing traffic jams, or cluttering up the common space on the highway. They are not acceptable actions or behaviors in a diverse public area. It's sort of like the religions that don't allow unrelated males and females to touch. Such prohibitions simply do not work in a diverse society, so they need to either be modified, suspended, or abandoned when in the public arena.
Basically, Indiana, you don't get to do whatEVER you want to do. You have to stop and think about other people. I know it's a difficult concept, especially if you believe your actions are Divinely justified. And while God doesn't really need your help, if you're intent on representing God, well, Holy Thursday is coming up soon. Why not go to your local homeless shelter and have a footwashing service? Not comfortable with that action? Then why not start by doing things Jesus said, like feeding the sheep? Why not feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or house the homeless? From what I understand, Jesus spent a good deal of time with people with all kinds of sexual backgrounds, yet He never once turned them away. Who are you to do that?
You want a Religious Freedom Restoration Act? Start where Jesus did, feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Start there.