Monday, April 4, 2016

"Georgia Religious-Liberty Fight Reveals Christian Right’s Weakened Influence"

NRO:  For evangelical voters, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Not in Georgia, at least. 

When Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, first heard that Governor Nathan Deal had vetoed a controversial religious-liberty bill, his phone exploded with text messages. HB-757 was seen by many as a modest attempt to safeguard religious freedoms, stating, for example, that pastors could not be forced to perform same-sex weddings. Naturally, faith leaders across the state were furious, and Moore quickly became a sounding board.

“I’ve heard from the most apolitical pastors one can imagine who are shocked and disgusted. There’s a great deal of anger,” Moore says. “I don’t know that Nathan Deal will ever run for anything in Georgia again, but he would sure have a hard time if he did.” (read the whole thing)

7 comments:

Jim in St Louis said...

I’m trying to remember the last ‘victory’ for the religious right. (and I’m old enough to remember the Falwell Moral Majority) It seems like they have been presented as if they were this huge threat with tons of cash and lots of motivated voters just waiting to fulfill the pre-destination protestant demands of a Pat Robertson. But when was the last time they won anything?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Not much distance from the florist and the baker to the nuptials officiant.

deborah said...

Lem, I think the line is religious liberty. The bakery was a public business. Inside a church, the law won't hold.

Jim in St Louis said...

Deborah- public accommodation is if there are cookies on the shelf and you come in then I have to sell to you as a member of the public.

Private contract is you coming in and asking me to use my art and talent to bake you a special cake with a special message. I can refuse the contract for any reason or for no reason. We don't compel association. (well we did not use to)

Inside a church is the next step, there is no end point for progressive social causes.

deborah said...

Jim, that is a very fine line...a baker running a business using her art and writing a message...I'll have to think that one over.

"...there is no end point for progressive social causes." TS Eliot said (paraphrase) liberalism ends in society climbing up its own backside :)

Jim in St Louis said...

lol- I had never heard the TS Eliot quote before, 'piss-elegant' is how I would describe it.

deborah said...

He could turn a phrase :)