If this is your view of how religious freedom works, it's warped and corrupted. Hey, you're free to worship as you please. You certainly do not have to marry a guy if you're a guy, or someone of a different race if that goes against your religion. But your rights end when they impose on mine. Your religion is yours, not necessarily mine. This is a license to discriminate. Fifty years ago, Pence would have been standing up to say it's okay not to serve black people in your business. (Actually, Republicans have said pretty much that recently.) There were people who used the Bible to justify their discrimination against, and hatred of, black people. This particular Indiana law allows discrimination as long as it's not of a type prohibited by the Feds. So, seriously, 50 or 60 years ago it would have allowed racial discrimination. That's the logic. That's what this kind of bill does. Is that really what we want to return to? (Again, many conservatives would say "Yep!")
How do you tell if a customer walking in is worthy of your discrimination? If two guys walk in and order a cake? What if it's a groom and his best man, both straight, out running errands? How are you going to decide? As an individual, you can be as much of an asshole as you want. But as a business, or government, you're not free to discriminate against people, even people you don't like.
Miss Mox and I will be driving across Indiana later this summer, as we have many times before. We'll make sure to get gas and food in Ohio and Illinois, and not spend one cent in Indiana. Of course, I've always seen Indiana as a big obstacle between the two states anyway, so I won't be missing out on much. But I've spent plenty of money in Indiana over the years, and now that will dry up. Lots of people, and big companies and organizations, are planning to do the same.
What would Jesus do? Would he really turn people away? At the wedding did he turn water into wine but say "those two guys over there can't have any"? Did he refuse to heal lepers who listened to music he found heretical? I mean, come on. This is not about being a good Christian, and it's not about religious freedom. It's about being allowed to be an ass to people you don't like. And when it comes down to it, that's not just ethically bad, and rude, and hateful. It's bad customer service. This is a law intended to let businesses turn away people they don't like. Is that really what you want to do with your business? Is it really what you want your state to do?
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