Religious Freedom = Discrimination?
Recently the Supreme Court refused the hear the case of Barronelle
Stutzman. The florist from Washington State, who has become a symbol of the
struggle for religious liberty in America. The woman declined to provide flower
arrangements for a same sex wedding, citing her religious convictions.
The question is whether religious convictions should allow
discrimination against particular people because of their sexuality and who
they choose to marry.
The religious, normally in the US a Christian, will say
where are my rights as they are increasingly faced with demands that go against
my conscience?
The person refused service will say where is my right to be
treated equally? Where is my right not to be the subject of discrimination because
of some words in a millennia old text?
The case above is confined to Washington State and other
states’ courts have reached decisions favouring religious discrimination, or
freedom if you prefer.
I look at the question from a Canadian viewpoint and the
Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act
say that Government laws cannot restrict your religious freedom unless they
infringe on other rights and values in Canada, for example, the right to
equality.
The phrase in bold [my emphasis] would seem to guarantee
that religious belief cannot be used to deny service offered publicly, a baker
for instance, to a particular person or group.
What is your view on religious freedom?
posted by some Stylist guy.
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