Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Image via YouTube

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1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

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   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

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   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

ACROSS America fanatical anti-LGBT+ and anti-transgender religious groups are waging a coordinated campaign to restrict LGBTQI+ rights and are targeting transgender youth in particular.

But Michigan is bucking this disturbing trend. Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she will sign an amendment to the state’s Civil Rights Act that includes protections for individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

The Catholic Church is not happy; it never is when moves are made to advance human rights.

Catholic news outlet Crux reports today (Saturday) that paranoid Catholic leaders in the Blue State fear that the move could end up targeting religious organisations that “uphold traditional beliefs on marriage and gender roles.”

A spokesperson for the Michigan Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops on matters of public policy, warned that the amendment may unleash discrimination against religious groups.

Image via YouTube

Said Tom Hickson, above, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy:

We are disappointed that the House did not include language to protect religious organizations from discrimination even though every state in the country has done so when amending their civil rights laws.

Hickson lamented the absence of exemptions for religious institutions, adding that:

As a result, discrimination and targeted litigation toward faith-based institutions is highly likely.

After the amendment was passed by the Michigan House on March 8, Whitmer took to social media to call it a “beautiful day in Michigan!” The governor, often touted as a rising star in the Democratic Party, added that she’s “thrilled” it’s headed to her desk.

Democratic Senator Jeremy Moss, who sponsored the legislation, said the move liberates the gay and lesbian community.

For far too long, LGBTQ+ Michiganders could not seek justice after enduring discrimination because we were excluded from our state’s Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act. In a historic vote the Michigan Senate passed my bill to expand the act and liberate our community.

Before the amendment, Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, originally passed in 1976, enshrined protections based on religion, race, age, and sex, familial or marital status, and more.

Writing for Crux, John Lavenburg said:

As a result of the amendment, the Michigan Catholic Conference said it believes there will be a new class of discrimination against faith-based people and organizations, including encouragement to target faith-based social service, educational and charitable organizations, and forcing small non-profit/religious organizations into lengthy legislation in state courts.

While it is clear that Governor Whitmer will sign the legislation into law, we believe it is necessary to state that this policy fails to protect all citizens from discrimination and will likely prompt greater scrutiny through the lens of the First Amendment.

Hickson’s huffing is a clear-cut case of a misplaced sense of entitlement, common among practically all religious organisations.

They think they deserve to be treated as something special and important. They demand favours and respect without doing a damned thing to earn such treatment.

This is especially true of the RCC, and I would say to Hickson and his ilk that, in an in increasingly secular landscape, religious concerns over the amendment should be treated with contempt and derision.

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