So Indiana Governor Mike Pence has signed into law a bill that allows private businesses to refuse business to any customer who they feel violate their religious beliefs and therefore their religious freedom. This has come about as an aggressive response to what's happened in Seattle when a gay couple started a lawsuit against a baker who refused to make them a wedding cake because he disapproved of their lifestyle due to his religious beliefs. The fallout from this law has been tremendous.

The supporters say - This law will apparently allow businesses to do business only with those who conform to their own religious beliefs. They have linked this to the right to religious freedom as detailed in the 1st amendment.

The opponents say - This law will apparently allow businesses to openly discriminate against anyone on the bases of their lifestyle choices by hiding behind religion as a legitimate reason. It has been compared to the Jim Crow laws of the early to mid 20th century.

My take on this - While I personally think any business that discriminates based on their religion are as abhorrent as those who discriminated based on color, I also recognize that this law is entirely unnecessary. America is the capital of capitalism after all. If a business wants to discriminate against people, let 'em. Sites like Yelp, social media like Twitter or Facebook, and just common word of mouth will decide whether that business thrives or fails. It's almost like natural selection. If you're a business owner, this really is a no-brainer.

Indiana is now facing a boycott from all sides as a result of this stupid law and as a native of this state, this is rather embarrassing. This will end Mike Pence's run for the White House before it truly begins I'd say. You can't move to the middle and challenge a Democrat when you've signed something like this into law. This will now be his legacy. He deserves every bit of it.

I think that's interesting the idea of an imposed morality. You could pick out inconsistencies there, such as I don't know, not wanting anti abortion laws imposed on people whilst wanting to impose on entrapeneurs who they sell their product/service to. Sorry if that's a little off topic.

Its a shameful law IMO, and a big reason why I usually try to avoid the middle of the country.

I can accept this when I visit Pakistan, or other places because many there are not as fortunate to have the education as we do in the first world. But seeing this at home is simply sickening. If you're religious convictions stop you from serving a homosexual couple, or a negro, or anybody else then you really need to fix/lose your religion.

Like McLewis said, I think it will do more damage than good to any business that chooses to exploit this law, so I don't think it will change things that much.

Art Morte wrote:Like McLewis said, I think it will do more damage than good to any business that chooses to exploit this law, so I don't think it will change things that much.

Thats taking a very liberal/port city type view of it though. There are more than a few people who share such views in small-town Indiana, and these people usually spend their money liberally with people they feel are standing up for "Their" rights.

Betty makes a good point as a local pizzeria that has publicly come out supporting this law racked up over $800,000 in funds from supporters after they were attacked by opponents of the law.

That does say that their business might just survive, but I think it would take a restructuring of how they market the business, catering only to those of a like mind....if they try to cater to a wider audience, it's likely not going to work.

Pence has now double-triple backtracked on this anyway, but I think the damage is already done.

Oh yeah, I read about that 800k donation thing. It was a bit crazy, gotta say.

I don't know, you guys probably have a better idea of it than me, but I'd just imagine that in the long run they'd lose more customers than gain.

Yeah agree with CB...hell that law doesn't even speak for all of Indiana.

Nonetheless, there are still people saying that this law wouldn't promote discrimination

I simply can't understand how they came to such logic.