When Barack Hussein Obama ascended the throne and became king of the United States in 2008, anyone in their right mind knew our religious freedoms were in danger. In 2012, the battle raged yet again and violations of Americans’ religious rights were the topic of conversation.
Travesties like readily available birth control, happy holidays instead of merry Christmas and marriage equality all seemed poised to become a reality of Obama’s America.
Luckily for Americans everywhere, Idaho state Representative Lynn Luker is slowly but surely fighting off tyranny.
Luker claims his religious rights are being violated here in the state of Idaho, but that is hardly the case.
It’s time that the freedom of religion argument quits being used for political reasons. Until you’re forced to worship a deity or you’re worried about being executed for your religious views, your religious freedoms are not in danger.
Just last week, Luker introduced a bill which would allow licensed professionals to deny service to people based on their religious beliefs, without fear of losing their state-issued license.
Luker claimed this was a preemptive solution to a problem seen in other states — such as in New Mexico where a photographer faced legal trouble for refusing to take pictures of a lesbian couples wedding.
Other problems like this have been caused throughout the country, but not in Idaho — as of yet.
This legislation is not solving a problem, it is creating state sanctioned discrimination against the LGBT community. Nobody is making anyone in Idaho support the equality movement. There aren’t exclusively gay communities barring people for religious reasons springing up all over Idaho.
The religious argument is a terrible one and should not be used to opress an already small community in the state. I could go on about the legal issues this may cause, such as doctors receiving state funding refusing to treat LGBT patients. I could claim this is a constitutional issue, but it is far simpler than that.
All citizens deserve equality.
Luker and people like him, from Idaho and around the world, cannot empathize with the discrimination faced by individuals within the LGBT community.
Luker, a Mormon from Southern Idaho can’t understand a whole state being so opposed to his way of life that they would codify discrimination.
Idaho is known for its conservative politics and extreme ideologies, for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean it also needs to be known for its discriminative policies and archaic worldview. If the issue being presented by Luker in Idaho were a racial one, it would be shot down so fast this article would be a moot point. However, Luker’s bill recently passed the House State Affairs Committee with a unanimous vote.
Just like Idahoans would not stand for racial prejudice, we should not stand for sexual discrimination. It’s time people like Lynn Luker joined the 21st century, and realize that equality is happening and granting that is not a desecration of the Bible.
Justin Ackerman can be reached at [email protected]