GA legislature flirting with disaster in so-called religious freedom bill

The Georgia Senate has passed a so-called religious liberty bill that started out as a simple bill to protect religious clergy from having to perform weddings for same-sex couples.  It is completely unnecessary, as described below;  but it at least did not do any harm, since it only codified what is already the law from the SCOTUS decision of marriage equality.

But that wasn't enough for the anti-gay senators.   They added language that made it perfectly legal for businesses to refuse their services based on anything that they felt violated the owner's particular religious beliefs.   Further, they made it so that the state could not take the offending business to court for discrimination.

The House has not yet taken up the Senate bill, and there's still hope that wiser political heads will keep it from passing, as they did a similar bill last year.  Here is a letter I sent to the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the subject.   I'm waiting to hear whether they will publish it. 

Letter to the Editor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
March 1, 2016

RE:   Letter "Legislation would protect pastors"

    A March 1 letter writer mistakenly believes that the "religious freedom bill" is needed to protect pastors from being forced to perform same-sex weddings.   Nothing could be further from the truth.

    The Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage in all states specifically upholds the First Amendment rights of religious organizations and individuals to follow their beliefs about marriage (see Obergefell v. Hodges, section IV).   No religious clergy will be forced to perform wedding ceremonies that conflict with their faith.

    The court opinion also states that it concerns only civil marriage, not religious marriage.   Therefore, the so-called religious freedom bill is completely unnecessary for that purpose and can only be seen as an attempt to arouse public concern about pastors' freedom as a cover for legalizing discriminatory practices in the business community.

    Let's be clear.   It is not the business community that wants this bill, as their massive lobbying efforts have made clear.

Ralph Roughton