Indiana House passes controversial religious freedom bill
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks at the
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Feb. 27 in
National Harbor, Md. Pence is expected to sign a controversial bill
into law that would allow business owners to decline to provide
services for same-sex couples. (Alex Brandon/AP)
A controversial religious freedom bill that would protect business
owners who want to decline to provide services for same-sex couples was
passed by Indiana’s State House today, the latest in a larger battle
over same-sex marriage and rights.
The bill reflects a national debate over the dividing line between
religious liberty and anti-gay discrimination. The question of whether
the religious rights of business owners also extend to their for-profit
companies has been a flashpoint as part of a larger debate over same-sex
marriage. For instance, the bill would protect a wedding photographer
who objects to shooting a same-sex wedding.
Religious Freedom Restoration Act opponents
prepare to deliver about 10,000 letters stacked in two red wagons to
the office of Indiana House of Representatives Speaker Brian Bosma,
R-Indianapolis, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Monday,
March 23, 2015. Supporters say the legislation would protect
religious freedoms, but opponents say it would allow discrimination
against gays and lesbians. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Charlie
Nye)
The Indiana House voted 63 to 31 to approve a hot-button bill that
will likely become law, and Republican Gov. Mike Pence said he plans to
sign the legislation when it lands on his desk. The state Senate’s
version of the bill would prevent the government from “substantially
burdening” a person’s exercise of religion unless the government can
prove it has a compelling interest and is doing so in the least
restrictive means.
Supporters say the measure supports religious freedom while opponents
fear discrimination against LGBT people. The push towards this kind of
legislation comes as same-sex marriage becomes legal across the country.
In September, a federal court ruling struck
down bans on same-sex marriage in Indiana and other states.
Jason Collins, an athlete who publicly came out as gay after the 2013
NBA season, will be in Indianapolis as a Yahoo Sports analyst covering
the NCAA Final Four and publicly questioned the bill.
Indiana’s religious freedom bill is modeled on a 22-year-old federal
law called the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act, which played a key
role in the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision in 2014. The court
ruled that closely held corporations with religious objections do not
have to comply with health-care requirements that they cover
contraceptives like Plan B.
A growing list of cities are passing gay anti-discrimination
ordinances, which has raised the ire of more conservative state
houses. Several states have adopted laws related to religious freedom.
Utah recently
passed a bill aiming to protect people who are LGBT from employment
and housing decisions based on their gender identity or sexual
orientation, while still protecting religious institutions that oppose
homosexuality. The bill did not deal with whether a business can deny
services because of religious convictions.
In debating the measure Monday, lawmakers on both sides of the issue
cited the Bible to defend their positions, the Indianapolis Star reports.
Republican Rep. Bruce Borders spoke about an anesthesiologist who
declined to anesthetize a woman in preparation for an abortion.
According to the Star, Borders said he believes the Bible’s command to
“do all things as unto the Lord” means religious believers need to be
protected not just in church but in their workplaces as well.
Democratic Rep. Ed DeLaney argued that Jesus served all people.
“My prophet had dinner with hookers,” he said, according to The
Star. “Was he blessing them? I hope so.”
Interested in more religion stories? Read more from Acts
of Faith:
Bob Jones III issues apology for 1980 statement calling for stoning
gays
Americans are deeply religious, so will we ever see an atheist
president? Here’s what we know.
Can one pastor bridge deep divides between evangelicals and mainline
Protestants?
Sarah Pulliam Bailey is a religion reporter, covering how faith
intersects with politics, culture and...everything.
washingtonpost.com
© 1996-2015 The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/03/23/indiana-house-passes-controversial-religious-freedom-bill/
|