Stop Using Religious Rights & Freedoms as an Excuse Not to Do Your Job

Two stories last week have inspired me to get up on my soapbox and vent about the rampant idiocy in our culture today. We’ve allowed fanatics to use religion to further their own agendas for far too long. Religious rights and freedoms in both Canada and the U.S. are meant to protect people from being discriminated against or persecuted based on their religious beliefs. It’s not meant to be an excuse not to do your job. 

Religious fanatics are using and abusing our legal system. And, we’re so afraid of being labeled politically incorrect or racist that we let them get away with it. Last week two women refused to do their jobs and have chosen to hide behind religious rights and freedoms and holler racism at the top of their lungs. The reality is that these are two people who are not doing their jobs and who should be fired. 

Kim Davis, a County Clerk in Gayson Kentucky, refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in spite of the fact that it’s her job (same-sex marriage is legal in Kentucky). As a result she just spent 5 days in jail on a contempt charge. U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered that if Davis interferes with the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples upon her return, she could go right back to jail. Mat Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel, the Christian law firm representing Davis made this statement. “Kim cannot and will not violate her conscience.” If indeed Ms Davis is a good Christian woman whose conscience won’t allow her to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, then she should do the right thing and resign; not collect $80,000/year for refusing to do her job. If she doesn’t resign then Grayson County should grow some balls and fire her!

Charee Stanley (a recent convert to Islam), is a flight attendant who was suspended for refusing to serve alcohol. She says that her religious freedom was violated and that Islamaphobia was behind her suspension. According to CNN Ms Stanley filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Detroit last week. What’s wrong with this picture? How about the fact that she got suspended because she wasn’t doing her job? Why would a woman who has such strong religious beliefs that she can’t serve alcohol, apply for and accept a job that requires her to serve alcohol? Why are we tolerating this bullshit? What does this have to do with Islamaphobia? There are plenty of Bible-thumping Christians who think that drinking alcohol is a sin. Would Ms Stanley still be shouting Islamaphobia if a Christian had been suspended for refusing to serve alcohol? 

Let’s stop pandering to every special interest group because we’re afraid of not being politically correct and these nuisance law suits. If someone’s not doing their job, fire them and let’s give these jobs to people who want to work!

Being Politically Correct means always having to say you're sorry.

Charles Osgood

Make someone smile today.

Geri