Independence Day

Well, it’s the commemoration of the day the full text of the Declaration of Independence was approved by the full congress.  It was actually signed on August 2nd, but who’s counting, right?  The Declaration was an announcement of subversion by the colonists and what was basically a bitchfest against King George.  However it did state that “all men are created equal”.  Ignoring the blatant sexism of that statement, the sentiment was, well, revolutionary.

Recently however, and on more than one occasion, our supreme court has granted corporations the same standing as humans.  Therefore I suppose, the Declaration might as well have said, “all men, and corporations, are created equal.”  In the latest ruling, corporations now have constitutional protection of their right to religious freedom.  Corporations.  Yes, they believe in God.

Which leads me to some questions.  Now that Hobby Lobby has got religion, it doesn’t have to pay for certain types of contraception for women based on religious objections.  I wonder, what religion Hobby Lobby belongs to and whether or not it has accepted Christ as its personal Savior.  Has Hobby Lobby been baptized?  Does it take communion?

But those are not the only questions I have.  What about other corporations?  What about Tiffany’s which is owned by Muslims?  Does Tiffany’s want its women to cover themselves in burkas or abayas?  Because that is their religion, can they require that?  Will customers be required to remove their shoes when they enter?  After all, Tiffany’s now has the constitutional right to its religious beliefs, and if Tiffany’s is Muslim, it can’t be forced to go against those beliefs.

And what about concerns owned by Scientologists?  Made up by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, Scientology has become a popular (and wealthy) religion.  This religion, like many Christian mega-churches, actually is a corporation.  So when it comes to insurance, where do they stand on paying for mental health care and medications?  In an infamous interview with Scientology member Tom Cruise, it was stated that “Psychiatry is a pseudoscience.”  This religion believes in spiritual healing.  And so will employees of the many Scientologist owned corporations have to go without mental health care?

In fact, can anti-discrimination laws be enforced now against corporations which have the right of religious freedom?  If they are forced to hire and provide benefits to those of different religious beliefs, are corporate religious freedoms being violated?  Do we now have another group which requires protection from discrimination under the law?  Apparently the answer is yes.  Corporations.