The Supreme Court will hear a big case about whether religion is a license to discriminate

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Mystery Solvent
@MysterySolvent
Don’t tell me the Supreme Court isn’t political. The Supreme Court has become the most political entity in our entire government. They shouldn’t even be hearing this case! Sorry everyone who isn’t a white man, you don’t matter even more!
Demonstrators in front of the Supreme Court.
vox.com
The Supreme Court will hear a big case about whether religion is a license to discriminate
Spoiler alert: This is unlikely to go well for LGBTQ people.
12:23 PM · Feb 22, 2022

https://www.vox.com/2022/2/22/22945657/supreme-court-religion-lgbtq-303-creative-elenis-colorado-discrimination

In the past few years, the Supreme Court danced around the question of whether religious conservatives have a constitutional right to violate anti-discrimination laws — and specifically laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Now, it appears ready to come out and say that at least some businesses have a constitutional right to discriminate.

On Tuesday, the Court announced that it will hear 303 Creative v. Elenis, a case that is likely to give at least some businesses a right to openly refuse services to LGBTQ customers.

This question first arose in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018), where the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Yet, while Masterpiece Cakeshop was a victory for the religious right, it turned out to be a very narrow one. The Court held that states could still enforce bans on anti-LGBTQ discrimination, but that state officials had to be careful not to disparage the religious beliefs of people who use those beliefs to justify discrimination.

Then, in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (2021), the Court handed down a similar nothingburger opinion, ruling in favor of a government contractor that refused to work with same-sex couples seeking to foster a child — but on exceedingly narrow grounds.

*snip*

[budkin]

1. I'm sure we can predict the outcome here...

A big ole, YES!

[SoonerPride]

2. I have a strongly held religious belief that keeps me from serving Republicans.

They are not a protected class.

If this stands then anyone anywhere could claim a reason not to serve anyone they didn't want for any reason whatever.

[Jilly_in_VA]

3. Ya know, it's a funny thing

Jesus preached about loving your neighbor, and I don't seem to recall that he made a big distinction about what kind of neighbor. He also had a lot to say about Pharisees. A whole lot.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. That's the slipperiest of slopes

Once religion becomes a basis for beliefs that cannot be seen or measured against others, ANYTHING can be viewed as a religious belief, even the erosion of other fundamental rights. We could form a religion that believes it is immoral to consume donuts if you weigh over 200 pounds, or Asians cannot consume alcohol. This SCOTUS has become a theater of the absurd, their opinions are surreal.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

5. Using Religion to discriminate against others is WRONG, period!

The United States IS NOT a Christian nation, nor a theocracy. We are a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, religious and non-religious groups with the freedoms to worship freely. Government does not interfere the practice of one's Religion and Religion does not interfere with Government in the enactment of Civil laws.

Only in a theocracy like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, much of the Persian Gulf region, parts of Africa, does Religion govern civil laws and civil society. The US Supreme Court need perhaps a reminder of that wall of separation. Civil Rights has been expanded to those who do not subscribe to a specific gender or group.

Using Religion as a reason to bar certain people from a business, housing, education, voting, etc. is WRONG!

[canuckledragger]

6. Most definitely yes.

When these liars and hypocrites enshrine their religion into law, that's the only purpose for it...to use the religious law like a hammer against those they hate.