Apparently taking a cue from the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy that has long seen itself above the civil and criminal laws - especially laws criminalizing the sexual abuse of children and youths and laws mandating the reporting of sexual abuse of minors - Christianists in Kentucky are pushing for a "religious freedom" law that would allow them to basically ignore any laws they don't like on "religious grounds." What's frightening is that a Kentucky Senate panel has approved the proposal. The irony. of course, is that far right Christians claim that gays want "special rights" but it is they themselves who seek - no, demand - special rights above all other members of society. And their extremism and brazenness seems to be only increasing with the help of the Republican Party which has become a de facto Christianist party. Here are highlights from the Miami Herald on this latest lunacy:
Kentuckians may get to vote this November on a proposed change to the state Constitution that its backers call "the Religious Freedom Act." The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the constitutional amendment Wednesday on a vote of 6-0, with Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, passing. The sponsor of Senate Bill 158, Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, said it is designed to protect the free exercise of religion from unnecessary restriction by government.
The bill would "prohibit any human authority from burdening actions that are based on religious beliefs, except in support of a compelling governmental interest using the least restrictive means to further that interest." The government would have to prove it has a "compelling interest" before it could restrict someone's religious freedom, Higdon said.
Martin Cothran, spokesman for The Family Foundation of Kentucky, said the measure is needed because the U.S. Supreme Court has diluted freedom of religion protections already offered by federal and state constitutions
He said his group favors adopting a constitutional amendment rather than a statute "to make it more permanent." The Catholic Conference of Kentucky also supports the measure.
If the legislature approves SB 158, Kentuckians would vote on it in November at the polls.
These people truly want a theocracy where they are the privileged set who are above the law. It's more than a little frightening.
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