tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872647804241988041.post3644307295684330213..comments2024-02-08T07:32:20.315-06:00Comments on Steve Bates - Yellow Doggerel Democratic Views: DC Circuit Strikes Down Obamacare Birth Control MandateSteve Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587223243120009776noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872647804241988041.post-85980775509860814102013-11-01T22:20:27.050-05:002013-11-01T22:20:27.050-05:00Well, that's what I'm saying. You can'...Well, that's what I'm saying. You can't take a religious exemption without expecting consequences, whatever group you're associated with. I can't get away with WTR just because I'm a Quaker or a principled person...ntoddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01068160577299501895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872647804241988041.post-42622279385059804612013-11-01T21:19:39.182-05:002013-11-01T21:19:39.182-05:00ntodd, different backgrounds lead to different res...ntodd, different backgrounds lead to different responses. When I was in college, one of my best friends (who ended up being a radical right-wing type politically) and I were both opposed to war as a matter of conscience. His religion, Church of Christ (not to be confused with UCC), was officially anti-war; mine (UU) was not. So he got the draft exemption and I didn't. Same conscientious objection to war... he got out; I didn't. I suppose I was "lucky" to have a wrecked knee from when I was about 12 years old which showed up in my pre-induction physical; otherwise I wouldn't have lived to tell this tale. But my point is that I am skeptical of allowing people exceptions to laws because of one or another group affiliation... and I am no more inclined to allow exceptions for a religious group than for any other kind of group. YMMV, of course.Steve Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587223243120009776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872647804241988041.post-48889947867467815662013-11-01T20:08:22.114-05:002013-11-01T20:08:22.114-05:00Law has to be about actions, not beliefs. Religion...<i>Law has to be about actions, not beliefs. Religion is intrinsically about beliefs. Whatever I believe about war, it is no violation of my First Amendment rights to tax me to pay for the US Army just as everyone else is taxed for that purpose. I can pick and choose what I believe as a matter of religion or conscience. I cannot similarly pick and choose what taxes I pay.</i><br /><br />Oh, you can, but then you would have to be willing to suffer the consequences, as we WTR folks have always done. Which is central to your point.<br /><br />It's a fucking ludicrous ruling, notwithstanding the assumption that corporations are people who can exercise religious freedom. What fun.ntoddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01068160577299501895noreply@blogger.com