Once again, religiously-sanctioned discrimination raises its ugly head, this time in Arizona where legislation is actually being considered to allow business owners to refuse to serve gay people. At this writing it's not sure if it will go through, but if it does, I have some questions for the business owners of that state who want to be able to discriminate for religious reasons.
First of all, how are you going to determine which of your potential customers are gay? Are you going to ask each person as they come in or are you going to assume that if two women are together or two men are together that they are gay? And if so, what happens if you assume wrongly (remember what they say about assuming) and the "gay couple" you refuse service to are actually sisters or brothers or cousins or otherwise related--or even good friends? Will they then have the right to sue you for discrimination? Are you going to put signs up like they did in Jim Crow days?
But let's take it further. You want religious exemption for your beliefs. If you get your way, what is to stop someone from saying that their sincerely held religious beliefs do not allow them to serve blacks or Jews or disabled persons or anyone else that they feel God is telling them to discriminate against? What if it were YOU on the receiving end?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns people, "Depart from me, you accursed. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I needed a place to sleep and you shut your doors. Because whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do unto me." He didn't say anywhere that this refusal to extend common human courtesy to others was acceptable if it was done for religious reasons.
But you know, I am glad Arizona's economy is thriving to the point where business owners can decide they can afford to exclude potential customers. As they say, beggars can't be choosers, and most of the small business owners I know can't afford to turn away people. Let them discriminate if they want; they'll soon find it a costly luxury.
First of all, how are you going to determine which of your potential customers are gay? Are you going to ask each person as they come in or are you going to assume that if two women are together or two men are together that they are gay? And if so, what happens if you assume wrongly (remember what they say about assuming) and the "gay couple" you refuse service to are actually sisters or brothers or cousins or otherwise related--or even good friends? Will they then have the right to sue you for discrimination? Are you going to put signs up like they did in Jim Crow days?
But let's take it further. You want religious exemption for your beliefs. If you get your way, what is to stop someone from saying that their sincerely held religious beliefs do not allow them to serve blacks or Jews or disabled persons or anyone else that they feel God is telling them to discriminate against? What if it were YOU on the receiving end?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns people, "Depart from me, you accursed. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I needed a place to sleep and you shut your doors. Because whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do unto me." He didn't say anywhere that this refusal to extend common human courtesy to others was acceptable if it was done for religious reasons.
But you know, I am glad Arizona's economy is thriving to the point where business owners can decide they can afford to exclude potential customers. As they say, beggars can't be choosers, and most of the small business owners I know can't afford to turn away people. Let them discriminate if they want; they'll soon find it a costly luxury.
