Monday, September 28, 2015

Pope Francis Supports Right of Bigots to Descimination

On trip back to Vatican Francis endorses special rights for bigots
Overall, I was comfortable with Pope Francis' visit to the USA and found much of what he had to say encouraging - not that it was any where near enough to make me want to return to Catholicism.  However, on the the papal plane headed back to Rome, Francis sided with bigots and serial adulterers like Kim Davis and stated that government workers have a "human right" to refuse to carry out a duty if they have a "conscientious objection."  I suspect Francis would sing a different song if those like myself said that we had a conscientious objection" to providing services to hate filled "godly Christians."  Perhaps Francis' view is not surprising given that Francis rules over a theocracy and now resides within the larger boundaries of a nation that historically has had a difficult time separating civil law from Church law.  Francis obviously has no grasp of the intent of America's Founding Fathers who looked upon Europe's bloody history of intertwining religion and civil law with revulsion.  NBC News looks at Francis' unfortunate pro-bigot remarks.  Here are excerpts:
Pope Francis appeared to weigh in on the side of anti-gay-marriage clerk Kim Davis, saying government workers have a "human right" to refuse to carry out a duty if they have a "conscientious objection." 

While returning from his visit to the U.S., the pontiff told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday that anyone who prevents others from exercising their religious freedom is denying them a human right. 

His comments are likely to be seized upon by backers of Kentucky-based Davis, whose refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples — in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling — has turned into her into a folk hero among some on the religious right.

The pontiff was asked: "Do you … support those individuals, including government officials, who say they cannot in good conscience, their own personal conscience, abide by some laws or discharge their duties as government officials, for example when issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples?"

He did not refer specifically to Davis in his reply, saying: "I can't have in mind all the cases that can exist about conscientious objection … but yes, I can say that conscientious objection is a right that is a part of every human right. It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right."
   
Asked if this principle applied to government officials carrying out their duties, he replied: "It is a human right and if a government official is a human person, he has that right. It is a human right." 
Under the founding principles of America, Kim Davis has the option of either doing her elective job or resigning.  As for the Catholic Church, I will not be rejoining anytime soon - if ever.  I continue to see religion as one of the most toxic forces in the world. 

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