Congressional Republicans have introduced the First Amendment Defense Act (H.R. 2802), a bill designed to protect Americans who use their religious beliefs as an excuse to discriminate.
According to the legislation, the federal government is not allowed to “take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”
In laymen’s terms, Congressional Republicans have introduced a bill that would make any discrimination leveled at anyone whose sexuality is in defiance of Fundamentalist Christianity’s Middle Ages puritanism perfectly legal. Because, as we all know, the only legitimate sex in the eyes of Conservative God is missionary within a heterosexual matrimonial union — with the lights off, under the blankets, at night.
With that being said, this bill could have consequences even beyond the legal ability to deny service to the historically-oppressed LGBT community. For example, the First Amendment Defense Act could also generate bigoted Fundie wrath against single mothers, since we all know they’re godless whores who have sex outside of marriage. Duh!
Congressional Republicans are looking to open Pandora’s box with this one, since a “person” is defined as not just the everyday gluttonous American, but also for-profit businesses and other corporate entities; a “discriminatory action” includes the revocation of benefits, employment, grants, loans, and tax-exemption statuses; in addition to belief, “acts” are protected; and someone simply has to assert a “moral conviction” to be protected under this law.
Within the bill’s language, there is no text that balances the religious liberty with governmental interest. Religious and moral convictions are preferred every time, as Fundamentalist Republicans believe it should be.
In a hypothetical world where these douche-canoes get their way and H.R. 2802 passes, a single, pregnant woman can be fired from her job at Safeway because her boss has a “moral objection” to unwed mothers, while Adam and Steve can be told to leave the grocery store because the owner is repulsed by his assumption that they may not be using the cucumbers the way God intended.
Theoretically, Congressional Republicans could see this bill backfire if it becomes law, but we all know that won’t happen. As soon as H.R. 2802 is used to oppress a Christian, Congressional Republicans would flip their shit and cry foul, since Congressional Republicans are some of the worst hypocrites we idiotically elected into office.
Even if this egregious bill manages to pass the legislature (in an alternate bearded universe), it will surely be vetoed by the president because, you know, President Obama actually has a soul.
Can we finally pull our heads out of our asses and not reelect these dirtbags again?
