A Potential Effect on Metro Atlanta? --> Georgia Bill HB 1023 / SB 377 (sales, 2014)

[aries4118]

Say NO to Georgia's discrimination bill HB 1023 / SB 377 | CREDO Mobilize

[MattCW]

I doubt it will pass. Deal is going to be desperate to be reelected after the winter debacle so I don't think he'll sign anything that would paint hm as a bigot and give more ammunition to his opponents.

My personal view is that while the overall bill is bad and will open up too much of a can of worms, I could support a more narrow-scope bill. Something that allows specific businesses to deny sales based on religion, such as a Christian bakery being allowed to refuse to put two grooms on the wedding cake or two brides. Functionally though, I'm not sure how it could work without requiring businesses to apply for and be listed on a registry which opens up more cans of worms.

[bryantm3]

here is the full text:

HB*1023*2013-2014 Regular Session

the law is obviously not what CREDO says it is. it is pretty clearly intended to be a religious exemption from providing individuals insurance that includes contraception. i don't see where it is a way to deny service to any customer, however, it *could* be construed to allow firing of gay individuals since they might 'conflict' with an employer's religious beliefs, although that's clearly not the motive behind this bill.

the bill is toxic either way, but i don't appreciate CREDO misconstruing the facts of the bill to make it seem more heinous than it actually is.

[workaholics]

All I'm saying is that if you're a wedding planner who doesn't want to plan a wedding for a same sex couple because of your "Christian beliefs" you should probably also deny services to overweight clients as well, since gluttony is also a biblical sin, and all sins are equal in the eyes of god, right?

[erick295]

Originally Posted by workaholics

All I'm saying is that if you're a wedding planner who doesn't want to plan a wedding for a same sex couple because of your "Christian beliefs" you should probably also deny services to overweight clients as well, since gluttony is also a biblical sin, and all sins are equal in the eyes of god, right?

Logic and religion have never really gotten along.

[NativeJr]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

it is pretty clearly intended to be a religious exemption from providing individuals insurance that includes contraception

To be clear, it would have stated specifically what it was prohibiting. It clearly is a veiled attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of people dumb enough to believe it does anything other than grant discrimination in the name of god. What's more, it's just piling on as it's already permissible to discriminate based on sexual orientation in Georgia.

[mattee01]

Originally Posted by workaholics

All I'm saying is that if you're a wedding planner who doesn't want to plan a wedding for a same sex couple because of your "Christian beliefs" you should probably also deny services to overweight clients as well, since gluttony is also a biblical sin, and all sins are equal in the eyes of god, right?

That would require them to use a brain cell and go beyond their comfort zone of blindly following a book.

[NativeJr]

This is kind of related:

Kasim Reed: End gay marriage ban ‘right away’ — Project Q Atlanta

Katie, bar the door! Oh wait, that's what the HB1023 is attempting to do.

[Todd_96]

Let a Muslim refuse service to a right wing Christian based on religion and see how fast this bill gets overturned!

[erick295]

It's hard to see through all the red and blue muck this issue is stirring up but it does raise an interesting question about the balance of civil and religious freedom... where does each one end? A person's freedom is being violated either way. I guess the obvious answer is to take the freedom from the person you disagree with, but how do you know if that's best for society as a whole?