More whiny babies claiming religious persecution

[AudreyE]

So, a FB friend is discussing the new Arizona birth control bill that gives employers the right to demand evidence that employees are only using the pill for medical reasons. A friend of hers says she is much more worried about religious persecution, and she posts a link to this Fox News story on Youtube. (I am thinking this is not a link that needs to be broken? I am still confused about that.)

A family was having other families over for Bible study. San Diego county told them they needed to have a permit to have so many people at their home. As far as I can tell, the county did not say a damn thing about religion. It could have been a knitting group. (Perhaps I am getting this wrong?) Fox News and the family involved sure go out of their way to make it about religion though.

Christian persecution, my ass.

[debrand]

So, a FB friend is discussing the new Arizona birth control bill that gives employers the right to demand evidence that employees are only using the pill for medical reasons. A friend of hers says she is much more worried about religious persecution, and she posts a link to this Fox News story on Youtube. (I am thinking this is not a link that needs to be broken? I am still confused about that.)

A family was having other families over for Bible study. San Diego county told them they needed to have a permit to have so many people at their home. As far as I can tell, the county did not say a damn thing about religion. It could have been a knitting group. (Perhaps I am getting this wrong?) Fox News and the family involved sure go out of their way to make it about religion though.

Christian persecution, my ass.

Just proof that your friend is the type of Christian who wants rules to apply to others and not them.

[AudreyE]

Well, my actual friend is an out-spoken feminist, but we both have fundi-lite acquaintances in our FB friends list.

I still love this quotation from the Jezebel article about the law:

Yesterday, a Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed Republican Debbie Lesko's HB2625 by a vote of 6-2, which would allow an employer to request proof that a woman using insurance to buy birth control was being prescribed the birth control for reasons other than not wanting to get pregnant. It's all about freedom, she said, echoing everyone who thinks there's nothing ironic about claiming that a country that's "free" allows people's bosses to dictate what medical care is available to them through insurance. First amendment. The constitution. Rights of religious people to practice the treasured tenets of their faiths, the tenets that dictate that religious people get to tell everyone who is not of faith how they're supposed to live, and the freedom to have that faith enforced by law. Freedom®.

[Nothing2CHere]

Do men also have to provide proof to their employers that if they're using insurance to get Viagra it's only for medical reasons and not to have sex (which could result in a baby!)? *sigh*

[debrand]

Whoops. Sorry for that mistake Audrey. :oops: I read your post too quickly.

[AudreyE]

Whoops. Sorry for that mistake Audrey. :oops: I read your post too quickly.

No prob!

[AudreyE]

Do men also have to provide proof to their employers that if they're using insurance to get Viagra it's only for medical reasons and not to have sex (which could result in a baby!)? *sigh*

See, it's natural for men to have a functioning penis, but it's not natural for women to not get pregnant having sex. That's what I heard

ETA riffle

[lilwriter85]

I remember the San Diego bible study case. I thought that thing was blow out of proportion. Other cities have similar laws and codes about what people can do in their neighborhoods regarding parking etc. If you go on a Meetup.com, most of those groups meet at restaurants, cafes, or parks. My boyfriend occasionally goes to a private chess meetup group that meets at a restaurant owned by member's dad. This group has thought about meeting at member's homes, but they don't out of concerns about parking.

I thought it was weird that the pastor wasn't holding Bible studies at his church. A lot of pastors don't hold a lot of events at their homes. My friend's uncle is a pastor and he rarely hold Bible studies, mens' groups or counseling sessions at his house. He has said that he needs boundaries and privacy.

[MrsYoungie]

These people who want a smaller government that stays out of their business sure seem to want a big brother government that gets all up in their most private business.

My employer has no specific right to know anything about my health. That's between me and my insurance provider.

Land of the free my ass!

[gustava]

These people who want a smaller government that stays out of their business sure seem to want a big brother government that gets all up in their most private business.

My employer has no specific right to know anything about my health. That's between me and my insurance provider.

Land of the free my ass!

Actually, it's between you and your doctor first.

[Lady]

I am still trying to figure out how a majority religion feels it is a minority.

The San Diego case had to do with neighborhood parking and nothing else. While everyone occasionally has a party and parks up the street to do it every week gets annoying. If they are gung ho on having the bible study in the home, one solution would be to park at the church and carpool.

My church has a monthly "table talk" where we go to a restaurant and do a bible study. The parking situation is solved because parking is no different that what it would be for restaurant traffic. The restaurant is happy because they get a big group and lots of eaters. The church is happy because they are visible and hope to pick up new people to join the church, so far this hasn't happened but we've only started this last month. I am happy because I get to eat out and get a piece of dessert. Everyone wins!

[MrsYoungie]

Actually, it's between you and your doctor first.

Well, yes, but that is already protected information is it not? I can then chose to release the information (via an insurance claim) to the insurance company. but it should not be revealed to my employer without my express permission.

I do not ned or want anyone where I work to have direct access to my health info.

[Mountain Girl]

It's between me and my doctor. My husband doesn't tell me what I should do with b/c because he expects me to make the safest and healthiest choice for my own body. I guess he utterly fails as manly headship. So, yeah, if my own SO doesn't get to tell me what to do, neither does some poor persecuted blowhard.

[dairyfreelife]

Well, yes, but that is already protected information is it not? I can then chose to release the information (via an insurance claim) to the insurance company. but it should not be revealed to my employer without my express permission.

I do not ned or want anyone where I work to have direct access to my health info.

Yes, that's why the law needs to be tossed and burned. Doesn't it violate HIPAA laws? I have to sign an agreement for my insurance company to know about my meds for them to cover. I don't even allow my parents access to that information. My employer has no concern or business knowing about meds I take. Should I be forced to tell employers about my anxiety meds too? Told to give them up and suck it up because it's my own fault I have panic attacks? Fired for taking them? What about my allergy shots? Why does my employer need to know about those things that are between my doctors and I? This violates serious privacy laws ans opens the door to allow employers deciding what to cover and not for any reason they want and can hire/fire people based on prescriptions. People who are supporting this bill aren't thinking about the future and just how far people could take this.

[lilwriter85]

I am still trying to figure out how a majority religion feels it is a minority.

The San Diego case had to do with neighborhood parking and nothing else. While everyone occasionally has a party and parks up the street to do it every week gets annoying. If they are gung ho on having the bible study in the home, one solution would be to park at the church and carpool.

My church has a monthly "table talk" where we go to a restaurant and do a bible study. The parking situation is solved because parking is no different that what it would be for restaurant traffic. The restaurant is happy because they get a big group and lots of eaters. The church is happy because they are visible and hope to pick up new people to join the church, so far this hasn't happened but we've only started this last month. I am happy because I get to eat out and get a piece of dessert. Everyone wins!

I agree it would be annoying for the neighbors to deal with parking issues weekly and I don't blame the neighbor of the pastor who complained to the city. I also thought carpooling could have prevented the problem in the first place.

[Dinaberries]

I'm so sick of Christians crying about being persecuted. The United States is more hardcore fundamentalist and ring-wing than it has ever been, and yet it's not enough for these people. My aunt is a Ron Paul loving, conspiracy theorist, with fundamentalist Christian views (not a fundamentalist lifestyle, however), and the other day, she was complaining to me about how apparently there isn't enough pro-life discourse going on in the US right now. Yes, really. According to her, not enough attention is being brought to the "evils" of abortion, and also, Christians are being heavily persecuted in the United States. She compared it to the persecution of the early Christians in Rome. I don't know what would possibly be enough to satisfy people with these views. I think that anything short of a Christian theocracy, where birth control and abortion are illegal, teaching or reading about evolution is illegal, public prayer is enforced, and fundamentalist Christianity is enforced, would feel like "persecution" to them.

[AudreyE]

She compared it to the persecution of the early Christians in Rome.

:o

So, no person would have a snowball's chance in hell of becoming president, if he or she claimed to be anything less than a devoted Christian, but Christians are persecuted. Mmm hmm.

Of course, I am a masochist, so I read some of the You Tube comments. One that really got under my skin was from an athiest who just wanted to say that this was wrong. WTF? Use your critical thinking skills. Why was Fox News talking about religion when the county was talking about zoning?

[Coconut Flan]

I'm a little late to this party but I know this church and a few of the minister's parishioners. No doubt one of the neighbors got tired of the in your face are you saved by the blood of the lamb people. It was a parking issue and was rescinded. That community is one I won't drive through if I can avoid it. It has some of the most officious enforcement I've ever encountered from the National City police department. While they said it was county inspectors who showed up, I'd more readily believe city police were involved. Perhaps they were the ones who complained to the county and not the neighbors. The area is not rural nor nearly as spacious as the minister wanted to imply.

Checking the website for the church, they no longer list a Bible study at the pastor's house although they have many other in home Bible studies listed.

[emmiedahl]

[CanadianHippie]

I agree it would be annoying for the neighbors to deal with parking issues weekly and I don't blame the neighbor of the pastor who complained to the city. I also thought carpooling could have prevented the problem in the first place.

You know, really thinking about it, the code in question probably has more to do with emergency vehicles (i.e. firetrucks) needing to be able to access the homes easily. Once in a while is not much of a concern, but when the road is lined with cars every week it becomes an issue. Those people in the trucks need to be able to be able to get their equipment and access the house without having to work around a butt load of cars.