The US Supreme Court, operating with 8 justices following the suspicious death of Antonin Scalia, also ruled on a religious freedom case from Washington State. Washington is a state which has made something of an industry out of targeting and destroying Christian-owned businesses. This is not surprising: according to public disclosure websites, Washington Governor Jay Inslee has during the course of his career raked in $570,000 from law firms, $360,000 from medical professionals (i.e. abortionists), and $358,000 from civil-service unions (which in Washington State has a number of homosexual activists).
After wiping out a few florists and bakeries for refusing to cater homosexual so-called 'weddings', Inslee and his mobsters focused their efforts on pharmacies refusing to sell abortion-inducing dope. In 2007, Washington State's Pharmacy Commission decreed that pharmacies were required to peddle abortifacient narcotics and conscience-based referrals were declared illegal. A family-owned pharmacy, Ralph's Thriftway, of Olympia came into conflict with this ruling and the issue went to the US Supreme Court.
The arrogant judges refused even to consider the case which, in the corrupt American judicial system, translates to upholding the ruling. Washington State is (for now) the only US state banning conscience-based referrals.
Bob Ferguson, Washington's Attorney-General gloated, "Patients should know that when they need medication, they won't be refused on the personal views of a particular pharmacy owner" he sniffed "The ruling today upholds these principles."
Not to be outdone, the ACLU in San Francisco immediately filed a lawsuit to force Catholic charity organizations working with refugees to offer abortions.
It is interesting to note that in many other countries, Christians are not subject to this kind of harassment. Even in a country like Iran, no Christian-owned business has ever been closed and its owners reduced to poverty for refusing to cater to abortionists and homosexuals. Nor does it happen in anywhere in Latin America, most of Africa, Russia, many countries in Europe, and much of Asia. Wherever Christians predominate or are legally tolerated, Christians are generally free to do as they please.
Not so here in the Prozac Nation. Christian business owners and even elected officials are made examples of; Christians are also routinely discriminated against and harassed. The lawyers, the activists, the judges, the officials perpetrating these crimes experience none of these things. They rise to positions of wealth and power, are fawned over by their toadies in the media, and Justice never touches them.
Most American Churches started here because they were fleeing persecution in foreign countries. Today the situation is reversed. Maybe it is time for American Christians to follow the example of our forefathers and look for new lands to settle and to open up to their doctrines. It has become impossible---or very nearly so---to be a Christian in Postmodern America. We can do better abroad; and here's further reading on the subject.
It is certainly worth considering.
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