Michele Bachmann, Asshole of the Day for March 11, 2014

Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed Arizona SB1062 last week. That was the bill that allowed businesses to discriminate gays as long as they claimed some cockamamie religious reason for doing so. As though religious freedom means the government has to let you deny citizens services if your God says you have to.

To be clear, people are allowed to be religious. They are allowed to keep gay people out of their churches, if that's their thing. But if they own a bakery, they are not allowed to deny a gay couple a wedding cake. If you're in the business of baking wedding cakes, you don't get to pick who to sell to. You aren't forced to bake wedding cakes by the state, but you are forced to treat all customers equally.

But that's not enough for some people. For some, the desire for equal rights and equal treatment is too much of a burden on their sacred right to be horrible bigots. Michele Bachmann sums it up in her own way:

“And the thing that I think is getting a little tiresome is the gay community have so bullied the American people and they have so intimidated politicians that politicians fear them and they think they get to dictate the agenda everywhere. Well, not with the Constitution you don’t.”

She added that gay people and “activist judges” are trying to take away her freedom: “If you want take away my religious liberties, you can advocate for that but you do it through the constitutional process and you don’t intimidate and no politician should give away my religious liberties or yours.”

Look, it’s not bullying to insist on equal rights.

Nor is it unconstitutional. The Constitution protects rights to equal treatment. The Constitution does not protect one group's right to discriminate and deny rights to other citizens.

There's a bully in this fight over gay marriage, but it's not the gays who are merely asking to have the same rights and responsibilities as every other adult citizen. No, the bullies are the people pushing laws that allow discrimination and deny equal rights to all.

The Constitution does not say that your religion trumps mine or anyone else’s. It does not require that I follow your religious rules, or that the state should make me. Your religion is your business. If you choose to do business, then the state has the right to regulate it. You're not special under the law just because of your religion. We all live under the same law. Freedom of religion is not freedom of business.

But for acting like the Constitution gives Christians special rights and accusing gays who just want equal rights of being bullies, Michele Bachmann is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Michele Bachmann's first time being named Asshole of the Day.

Full story: Right Wing Watch

#asshole of the day #Michele Bachmann #gay marriage #Religious Liberty #religious bigotry #SB1062 #Arizona #gay rights #bigot #homophobe #anti-gay law #GOP #Minnesota

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Is Michele Bachmann Asshole of the Day?

Is Michele Bachmann asshole of the day for saying "the gay community has bullied the American people"?

Regarding Arizona SB1062 Rep. Bachmann said:

“And the thing that I think is getting a little tiresome is the gay community have so bullied the American people and they have so intimidated politicians that politicians fear them and they think they get to dictate the agenda everywhere. Well, not with the Constitution you don’t.”

She added that gay people and “activist judges” are trying to take away her freedom: “If you want take away my religious liberties, you can advocate for that but you do it through the constitutional process and you don’t intimidate and no politician should give away my religious liberties or yours.”

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/michele-bachmann-laments-gay-community-have-so-bullied-american-people

No, it's not bullying to insist on equal rights. And neither is it unconstitutional.

You know what's bullying and wrong-- trying to push laws that allow discrimination.

The Constitution does not say that your religion trumps mine or anyone else's. It does not require that I follow your religious rules, or that the state should make me. Your religion is your business. If you choose to do business, then the state has the right to regulate it.

Freedom of religion is not freedom of business.

Photo source: http://bachmann.house.gov/about-michele/official-photo

#asshole #Michele Bachmann #SB1062 #Arizona #religious freedom #religious liberty #religious bigotry #bigot #homophobe

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Cathi Herrod, Asshole of the Day for February 27, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Cathi Herrod is the president of The Center for Arizona Policy, the organization that crafted Arizona Bill #1062 that Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed yesterday. So naturally she was upset at the veto:

Today’s veto of SB 1062 marks a sad day for Arizonans who cherish and understand religious liberty.

SB 1062 passed the legislature for one reason only: to guarantee that all Arizonans would be free to live and work according to their faith.

Opponents were desperate to distort this bill rather than debate the merits. Essentially, they succeeded in getting a veto of a bill that does not even exist.

When the force of government compels one to speak or act contrary to their conscience, the government injures not only the dignity of the afflicted, but the dignity of our society as a whole.

Of course she couldn't be more wrong. Her cry of "religious liberty" is ridiculous. If she is upset that serving gays is a violation of her religion, then why has she never been upset that businesses have to serve people who've committed other sins that her religion condemns? You know, like the 10 commandments. Is it a violation of religious liberty if a baker has to bake a cake for someone who was previously divorced? She seems very silent on this.

And really, is her religion nothing more than hating and oppressing gays? It sure seems so from her whining here. Look, Ms. Herrod, Jesus said NOTHING about gays in the New Testament, but talked non-stop about helping the poor. So why are YOU so focused on gays and not on the poor? Your religion is NAMED for Jesus after all.

But beyond her whining, there's been lots of hyperbole about this law, so before this chapter (hopefully) gets closed, I'm going to spell out all the things wrong with this law and its crybaby defenders:

#1 It's not slavery, Tea Party Nation president Judson Phillips. Slavery isn't when a baker is forced to sell a cake to a gay couple. Slavery is when someone is forced to bake cakes and is not permitted to do anything else by threat of violence or death. Slavery is when someone has no claim on the fruits of their labor. If a baker doesn't want to make cakes for gay weddings, he is free to stop being a baker and do another profession; slaves are not.

#2 It's not "Jim Crow for Christians", Bryan Fischer. Jim Crow denied voting rights, fair juries, and was enforced by lynching and other terrors.

#3 It's not second class citizenship, Todd Starnes. There is no right that Christians are being denied that someone else gets.

And it might be racist for people to suggest that the failure of this law is slavery, Jim Crow or second class citizenship, because you are minimizing the suffering of African Americans under slavery and Jim Crow by comparing not being able to persecute gays to being enslaved or to living without basic rights under terror of lynching.

#4 It's not fascism, Tucker Carlson. But nice try with your half-assed Nazi analogy.

#5 It's not “aiding and abetting sin”, Erick Erickson. Not unless you think bakers are also aiding and abetting sin when they sell to adulterers, divorcees, liars, robbers, those who say "God damn it" or to those who have tattoos, eat shellfish, or covet. And you have been silent on all those items.

#6 Defeating this law is not some sinister gay agenda, Rush Limbaugh. Insisting on the same rights and treatment as everyone else gets is not sinister.

Christianity is more than hatred and persecution of gays (if it should even be part of it at all). Lots more. And it's so wrong for you to pretend that not being able to persecute gays means you can't practice your religion.

So no, Cathi Herrod, it is not a sad day for religious liberty, unless persecuting gays is what your religion is all about:

Today marks a sad day for Arizonans who understand and cherish the kind of religious liberty that can only come from persecuting gays.

— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat)

February 27, 2014

And that is why Cathi Herrod is Asshole of the Day.

It is Cathi Herrod's first time being named Asshole of the Day.

Full story: http://www.azpolicy.org/newsroom/cathi-herrods-statement-on-the-veto-of-sb-1062

#asshole of the day #Cathi Herrod #Arizona #SB1062 #anti-gay law #bigot #homophobe #religious liberty #religious bigotry #slavery #Jim Crow #second class citizenship #Christian baker #gay wedding cake #gay marriage #same sex marriage

assholeofday

Is Cathi Herrod Asshole of the Day?

Is Cathi Herrod asshole of the day for saying Gov. Brewer's veto was a "sad day for Arizonans who cherish and understand religious liberty"?

Cathi Herrod is the president of The Center for Arizona Policy, which crafted the bill creating a Jim Crow system for gays that Brewer vetoed:

Today’s veto of SB 1062 marks a sad day for Arizonans who cherish and understand religious liberty.

SB 1062 passed the legislature for one reason only: to guarantee that all Arizonans would be free to live and work according to their faith.

Opponents were desperate to distort this bill rather than debate the merits. Essentially, they succeeded in getting a veto of a bill that does not even exist.

When the force of government compels one to speak or act contrary to their conscience, the government injures not only the dignity of the afflicted, but the dignity of our society as a whole.

http://www.azpolicy.org/newsroom/cathi-herrods-statement-on-the-veto-of-sb-1062

"Religious liberty"? Is your religion nothing more than hating and oppressing gays? It sure seems so. Jesus said NOTHING about gays in the New Testament, but he talked non-stop about helping the poor. So why are YOU so focused on gays and not on the poor? Your religion is NAMED for Jesus.

So, really, what kind of religious liberty is it a sad day for? I have an idea:

Today marks a sad day for Arizonans who understand and cherish the kind of religious liberty that can only come from persecuting gays.

— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat)

February 27, 2014

Photo source: http://www.azpolicy.org/_literature_186045/Cathi_Herrod

#asshole #Cathi Herrod #Arizona #anti-gay law #SB1062 #bigot #religious liberty #religious bigotry #religious discrimination #Jim crow #homophobe

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Asshole of the Day, December 11, 2013: Bryan Fischer

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Bryan Fischer is a regular here at Asshole of the Day. While he has only won four times, he is nominated almost every week for yet another ridiculously bigoted statement attempting to force his narrow view of Christianity on the country. He is a theocrat. And his latest pronouncement is particularly bad-- he claims the 1st Amendment only protects Christians, not other religions:

“At the time of the founding [of the United States], 99.8 percent of the population of the colonies were Christians. The other 0.2 percent were Jews,” he said.

“But the point is, by ‘religion’ the founders were thinking of Christianity,” Fischer continued. “So the purpose was to protect the free exercise of the Christian faith. It wasn’t about protecting anything else.”

“They weren’t providing any cover or shelter for the free exercise of Islam or even Judaism or even atheism. They weren’t saying you can’t do it — I want to be clear on that — they weren’t prohibiting that, they were just saying that is not what we are talking about here.”

Fischer noted that a group of Satanists are seeking to erect a monument at the Oklahoma statehouse. The Satanists say the statehouse cannot erect a Ten Commandments monument but deny religious displays that honor other faiths.

“Here is where the definition of the word religion becomes absolutely critical,” he said. “If by ‘religion’ the founders meant Christianity, then you can ban a monument to Satan because that is not Christianity.”

“But if by ‘religion’ you mean any system of belief, whether it is Christian or not, then you have no way to tell the Satanists you can’t have your monument.”

This is so completely wrong-- if one religion is allowed to erect monuments on public property or government offices but other religions are not, then the state prefers one religion and is limiting or infringing on the freedom of others to practice religion. There is then, no freedom of religion at all.

And even if we buy his premise that since the nation was mostly Christian that the Founders only protected the right of Christians to practice, then the Constitution still doesn't allow the state to prefer one sect of Christianity over another. And that is key too, because not all Christians feel the state must erect monuments to the 10 Commandments or Nativity scenes. And then by the state doing so, it infringes on the free exercise of religion of those Christians. If there's one thing our Founders understood, it's that many of their ancestors had come to the New World to avoid the persecutions of one sect of Christians done by other Christians. So if the Founding Fathers wanted to only protect one religion or sect or raise it above others, THEY WOULD HAVE SPECIFIED IT. They did not. END OF STORY.

It is Bryan Fischer’s 4th time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for

Full story: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/11/right-wing-radio-host-bryan-fischer-says-first-amendment-only-protects-christians/

#asshole of the day #bryan fischer #theocracy #first amendment #1st amendment #freedome of religion #religious freedom #Religious Liberty

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Is Bryan Fischer Asshole of the Day (again)?

Is Bryan Fischer asshole of the day for saying the 1st Amendment only protects Christians, not other religions?

“At the time of the founding [of the United States], 99.8 percent of the population of the colonies were Christians. The other 0.2 percent were Jews,” he said.

“But the point is, by ‘religion’ the founders were thinking of Christianity,” Fischer continued. “So the purpose was to protect the free exercise of the Christian faith. It wasn’t about protecting anything else.”

“They weren’t providing any cover or shelter for the free exercise of Islam or even Judaism or even atheism. They weren’t saying you can’t do it — I want to be clear on that — they weren’t prohibiting that, they were just saying that is not what we are talking about here.”

Fischer noted that a group of Satanists are seeking to erect a monument at the Oklahoma statehouse. The Satanists say the statehouse cannot erect a Ten Commandments monument but deny religious displays that honor other faiths.

“Here is where the definition of the word religion becomes absolutely critical,” he said. “If by ‘religion’ the founders meant Christianity, then you can ban a monument to Satan because that is not Christianity.”

“But if by ‘religion’ you mean any system of belief, whether it is Christian or not, then you have no way to tell the Satanists you can’t have your monument.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/11/right-wing-radio-host-bryan-fischer-says-first-amendment-only-protects-christians/

Yeah, here's the thing-- the Founders knew about other religions, and about the persecutions of one sect of Christians done by other Christians, so if they wanted to only protect one religion or sect or raise it above others, THEY WOULD HAVE SPECIFIED IT. They did not.

Photo source: https://twitter.com/BryanJFischer

#asshole #bryan fischer #Religious Liberty #religious freedom #first amendment #1st amendment #Christianity

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Is Bryan Fischer Asshole of the Day (again)?

Is Bryan Fischer asshole of the day for saying states can outlaw Islam and ban mosques?

Though the claims turned out to be false, Fischer said on his radio program yesterday that under the Constitution as it was originally written, individual states have the freedom and power to declare Islam to be illegal and prohibit Muslims from practicing it or building mosques.

"Angola has made Islam illegal in the country," Fischer said, "and they are dismantling mosques. Mosques are illegal and they are dismantling the mosques that already exist; they're taking them down ... And you ask yourself the question, well, can we do that here? Could we do that in the United States? Could we make Islam illegal, could we prohibit the building of mosques, and the answer is yes!"

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fischer-constitution-give-states-right-outlaw-islam

According to Bryan Fischer the states have the right to outlaw religions they don't like, but I'm sure he'd disagree if a state wanted to ban his particularly hateful brand of Christianity and put liberal Methodists in charge.

Photo source: http://www.afa.net/detail.aspx?id=2147486648

#asshole #bryan fischer #religion #Religious Liberty #Islam #islamophobe #islamophobia

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Asshole of the Day, November 11, 2013: Tony Perkins

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

What is it about religious freedom that's so hard for some people to understand? It's really not hard-- freedom of religion guarantees that you may practice your religion, not that you may impose it on others. Today we had two assholes who couldn't see that, and it's amazing how ignorant of the Constitution they really are.

First up is Illinois State Rep Dwight Kay, who was upset that when marriage equality was being debated that no one mentioned the scriptures. But then he really went off the deep end:

“The other thing I didn’t hear today was the fact that this nation was built on the scriptures,” he said on the House floor. “And then came the Constitution. Is that not right?”

“I think it is,” Kay continued. “Our Constitution has always looked to the scriptures for its guidance and its columns and its foundations and its leanings, its underpinnings. And, yet, I’ve heard nothing today about the scriptures. The only thing I have heard is about human rights.”

Catch that? He thinks the Constitution has "always looked to the scriptures". Well, if that were true, asshole, it might mention it somewhere. Please read the Constitution and get back to us.

The second asshole, and today's Asshole of the day, is Family Research President Tony Perkins. Now the Family Research Council sounds like a nice, wholesome organization. And it is, if your definition of wholesome is making sure that women and gays don't have the same rights as everyone else.

Today Mr. Perkins went on Fox & Friends to discuss how Obamacare requires health insurance plans to provide birth control without co-pay, and how this is an attack on Christianity:

“This administration has not confined their attack on religious liberties simply to the workplace,” Perkins agreed. “It’s really started in the military. I mean, this administration, the Obama administration, I believe, all evidence would suggest, they’re on a search-and-destroy mission as it pertains to religious liberty.”

“Why do you think the administration wants this fight?” co-host Brian Kilmeade wondered.

“I think this administration has a very narrow view of the First Amendment, that first freedom, the freedom of religion,” Perkins explained. “I think they see religious freedom as fine with it as long as it’s in the four walls of a church. But if it comes into workplace, the marketplace, if it comes into the public square, it’s not welcome.”

“But the reality is, the founders saw us with an aggressive ability to live our lives according to our faith,” he added. “I mean, that’s why the Pilgrims came here.”

So you see to Mr. Perkins, Christians must be allowed to force their own belief on their employees, though we're guessing that he would oppose a Muslim employer from imposing Sharia Law on his employees. And that's what's makes these people such assholes-- they can't see how we're all better if we can't have someone else's religion imposed on us, and that is why we aren't allowed to impose it on others.

And, finally, it doesn't matter that the Pilgrims believed in a theocracy-- again, as long as it was run by them. They fled Europe because other religions had the force of law on their side. The Pilgrims are nice, but America is more than the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims didn't write the Constitution.

It is Tony Perkins first time as Asshole of the Day, but one of many for saying awful things on Fox News. Other notables include Bill O'Reilly for saying Jesus died to protest high taxes, Elisabeth Hasselbeck for blaming a shooting on video games, Todd Starnes for being upset that Miss America wasn't white, and Harry Houck for saying Trayvon would be alive if he didn't have "street attitude". There are plenty more, so check the whole listen of Fox News assholes.

Full story: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/11/tony-perkins-wants-the-liberty-to-deny-birth-control-thats-why-the-pilgrims-came-here/

#asshole of the day #Tony Perkins #family research council #Obamacare #contraception #war on women #birth control #freedome of religion #Religious Liberty #religious freedom #Dwight Kay #theocracy

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Is Tony Perkins Asshole of the Day?

Is Tony Perkins asshole of the day for saying the Pilgrims came to America so employers could deny women birth control?

On Fox & Friends, while discussing how Obamacare requires health insurance plans to provide birth control without co-pay, Perkins said this:

“This administration has not confined their attack on religious liberties simply to the workplace,” Perkins agreed. “It’s really started in the military. I mean, this administration, the Obama administration, I believe, all evidence would suggest, they’re on a search-and-destroy mission as it pertains to religious liberty.”

“Why do you think the administration wants this fight?” co-host Brian Kilmeade wondered.

“I think this administration has a very narrow view of the First Amendment, that first freedom, the freedom of religion,” Perkins explained. “I think they see religious freedom as fine with it as long as it’s in the four walls of a church. But if it comes into workplace, the marketplace, if it comes into the public square, it’s not welcome.”

“But the reality is, the founders saw us with an aggressive ability to live our lives according to our faith,” he added. “I mean, that’s why the Pilgrims came here.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/11/tony-perkins-wants-the-liberty-to-deny-birth-control-thats-why-the-pilgrims-came-here/

Except here's the thing-- the Pilgrims didn't write the Constitution. America is more than the Mayflower. And freedom of religion means you get to practice your religion, not impose it on others.

Photo source: https://twitter.com/tperkins

#asshole #Tony Perkins #family research council #Fox & Friends #fox news #contraception #birth control #religious freedom #Religious Liberty

assholeofday

Is Tim Huelskamp Asshole of the Day?

Is Tim Huelskamp asshole of the day for saying that religious liberty means businesses should be able to fire people for being gay?

Say no to Obama on #ENDA. Respect religious liberty. http://t.co/4WLw4vDiOb

— Cong. Tim Huelskamp (@CongHuelskamp) November 4, 2013

Because I think it's obvious that religious liberty only applies in his mind to Christians like him, and not to Christians who think you shouldn't fire someone for being gay, or to Muslims for, well, anything. Isn't that right, asshole?

#asshole #Tim Huelskamp #ENDA #gay rights #homophobe #religious liberty