American, Sharia?
The Bishop's Letter
One America, Two Visions?
- A vision for a secular America - Guest Voices - The Washington Post
". . .As one of the speakers at the Reason Rally, I offer a specific vision and plan for a secular America."
Whose Freedom?
On Friday, March 23rd, people gathered all across the United States to "Stand Up For Religious Freedom". The rallies were actually in opposition to a component of the Affordable Care Act that employee's health insurance plans include contraception. Some hospitals and other religious-affiliated groups and businesses object to this on grounds that this goes against their religious beliefs.
This is understandable, but the people participating may not realize something. That they may be infringing on the freedoms of their employees. Not every employee may share the views of the employer; be that a Catholic Hospital, a Baptist School or a small business run by a devout Jew. Is it fair those employees to in sense have their freedoms constrained by religious dogma?
Second, in a sense, the opponents of this provision are arguing that religious beliefs trump secular law. It's in a sense similar to the ideas of the Taliban, the Lord's Resistance Army, or other radical religious groups. Could this be merely another front in the attacks on women's reproductive freedom that American fundamentalists have been waging since Roe vs Wade.
If that is what this is, then it looks like women are more than ready to fight back. You would think that American Right would have learned from their "War On Workers" and the efforts of workers in Wisconsin and Ohio, that people are willing and able to organize and mobilize.