religious liberties do not trump equality under the law.

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/

To the Editor,


I noted an exchange between Nancy Parsons and Thomas Lemay. Some things to consider:


Firstly, religious liberties do not trump equality under the law. If one wants to be a religious fanatic, a bigot, a sexist or a homophobe, they can do it in their own home, church, or private affiliation. People have used religious beliefs to support wars, cruel and unusual punishments, beating children, religious oppression, slavery, miscegenation laws, segregation, antisemitism, anti-suffrage, polygamy, and homophobia, and its all a failed Medieval argument. The courts have already ruled on a variety of these issues and the religious conservatives have lost.  For a bunch of tea bags who are concerned with abortion and welfare, they sure haven't thought this one out in the slightest. If one wants fewer abortions and less welfare families, family planning, sexual healthcare, sex education, and contraception education are the only answers. Making contraception unavailable and abortion illegal is about as intelligent a solution as the drug war is for drug use or banning guns is to end violent crime. 


Not only have the courts ruled in NY & CA against religious conservatives on the contraception rule, the EEOC has made a similar ruling. In this nation, church and state are separate entities.  A person's free excercise of religion STOPS when they infringe upon another's liberty and equality under the law. Using the plastic religious liberty card does not trump equality or the immunities guaranteed by the Constitution. 


A person might have a religion that prohibits medicine for their child's healthcare and for that they deserve to lose their child until that child's home is safe. Churches can't infringe on matters of equal protection under the law. Religious belief can not be used to limit the freedom, health or safety of others. These are settled issues and all this belly-aching by right wingers is going down in flames, shot down by 2/3 of Americans who support the President on this.  While the Catholic Bishops go off in their frenzied medievalt attack on women, even Catholic hospitals are okay with the plan. Nancy Parsons is correct. It IS about contraception and it is about healthcare equality under the law which cannot be touched by any religious meddling. Equal healthcare under the law IS the law now. Women's contraception will be covered and nothing can be done to stop it. The Fox noise machine won't stop it nor will that bunch of narrow minded fools in Congress.


In 1960, Republicans were concerned that if elected President, John F. Kennedy would be influenced by the leadership of the Catholic Church. Kennedy answered these fears by stating, 


"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute--where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote--where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference--and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him."


My, how things have changed in a half century. Today's Republican Party has become the pep squad for the Prelate's Bishops and the craziest fundamentalists.  The Republican party of today is shamelessly in bed with fanatical religious leaders and voices whose intent is to molest our politics, oppress our liberties, and poison our notions of equality. Mr Lemay says if you don't like the Catholic Church you don't have to join. He misses the point completely. If conservatives like religious intrusion so much,  I suggest a move to Iran or Saudi Arabia. I'll help you pack.


James Veverka
Tilton