I have been eager to discuss this issue with a kindred spirit. My thought was to follow the money, starting at the law firm representing Hobby Lobby.
What I found out was surprising. I assumed that some right-wing think tank or organization was funding this as a direct attack on PPACA. I cannot vouch whether or not there is more to the story than meets the eye. Hobby Lobby is being represented by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. I am by no means defending the merit of this lawsuit. I think it is despicable. But the firm itself does appear to demonstrate rock-solid credibility having defended lawsuits by Hindu, Muslim, Zoroastrian and other religious organizations and groups. Certainly makes it more interesting.
From the Wikipedia entry on the Becket Fund:
The Becket Fund's stated mission is to "protect the free expression of all religious traditions." Clients have included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. The organization maintains that "freedom of religion is a basic human right that no government may lawfully deny; it is not a gift of the state, but instead is rooted in the inherent dignity of the human person. Religious expression (of all traditions) is a natural part of life in a free society, and religious arguments (on all sides of a question) are a normal and healthy element of public debate. Religious people and institutions are entitled to participate in public life on an equal basis with everyone else, and should not be excluded for professing their faith."
This is probably a good example of a conservative organization, in this case a business, doing their homework and thereby creating a stronger case for their argument. Who knows who is really behind it? Can't always googol that!
I wonder how many of the radical religious right Christian groups have been clients, in contrast to the numbers of other faiths?
What is clear is that Hobby Lobby doesn't mind doing business with China, with abortion and forced family planning, when it makes them money, but pushes religion and tries to exert an inappropriate level of control and intrusion on their own employees when they think they can get away with it.
Further, Hobby Lobby is funding other entities that are attempting to expand the definition of religious liberty to permit discrimination, including funding who wrote the recent AZ law that would permit denying accommodation to gays or other individuals on the basis of religious belief.
This is a group that wants to engage in widespread radical Christian oppression and who want to impose Biblical Christian law in place of secular law -- so long as doing so does not cost them money. If profit is involved, screw religious belief, in favor of greed.
Yeah.........that doesn't impress me as sincere belief, just an attempt to leverage religion as a pretext to screw people.
And that, Flying Junior, is why I never stop at Wiki when something has the smell of sanctimony on it. Right Wing Watch is relatively non-committal about Becket. These folks are not:
Hello Old Friend,
ReplyDeleteI have been eager to discuss this issue with a kindred spirit. My thought was to follow the money, starting at the law firm representing Hobby Lobby.
What I found out was surprising. I assumed that some right-wing think tank or organization was funding this as a direct attack on PPACA. I cannot vouch whether or not there is more to the story than meets the eye. Hobby Lobby is being represented by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. I am by no means defending the merit of this lawsuit. I think it is despicable. But the firm itself does appear to demonstrate rock-solid credibility having defended lawsuits by Hindu, Muslim, Zoroastrian and other religious organizations and groups. Certainly makes it more interesting.
From the Wikipedia entry on the Becket Fund:
The Becket Fund's stated mission is to "protect the free expression of all religious traditions." Clients have included Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. The organization maintains that "freedom of religion is a basic human right that no government may lawfully deny; it is not a gift of the state, but instead is rooted in the inherent dignity of the human person. Religious expression (of all traditions) is a natural part of life in a free society, and religious arguments (on all sides of a question) are a normal and healthy element of public debate. Religious people and institutions are entitled to participate in public life on an equal basis with everyone else, and should not be excluded for professing their faith."
This is probably a good example of a conservative organization, in this case a business, doing their homework and thereby creating a stronger case for their argument. Who knows who is really behind it? Can't always googol that!
I wonder how many of the radical religious right Christian groups have been clients, in contrast to the numbers of other faiths?
ReplyDeleteWhat is clear is that Hobby Lobby doesn't mind doing business with China, with abortion and forced family planning, when it makes them money, but pushes religion and tries to exert an inappropriate level of control and intrusion on their own employees when they think they can get away with it.
Further, Hobby Lobby is funding other entities that are attempting to expand the definition of religious liberty to permit discrimination, including funding who wrote the recent AZ law that would permit denying accommodation to gays or other individuals on the basis of religious belief.
This is a group that wants to engage in widespread radical Christian oppression and who want to impose Biblical Christian law in place of secular law -- so long as doing so does not cost them money. If profit is involved, screw religious belief, in favor of greed.
Yeah.........that doesn't impress me as sincere belief, just an attempt to leverage religion as a pretext to screw people.
And that, Flying Junior, is why I never stop at Wiki when something has the smell of sanctimony on it. Right Wing Watch is relatively non-committal about Becket. These folks are not:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicalresearch.org/2013/03/21/profile-the-becket-fund/#
Another Reichwing KKKrisitianst front group, that they occasionally do the right thing notwithstanding.
I'm getting a little peeved that most of my comments go in the crapper when I hit publish.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for the information. Very eye-opening..
ReplyDelete