GOING ON OFFENSE Part One: Challenging the concept of the "Sincerely-Held Belief"
From the DU thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025198317
Let's look at the whole idea of "SINCERELY-HELD BELIEFS"...
Well, this template for "sincerely-held beliefs" - can't that be challenged or at least fucked with?
Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander. Why can't WE take that approach? Aren't OURS "sincerely-held beliefs"? Can't an argument be made in some way? Or some other challenge that can be mounted based on religious beliefs? Let's look at this. This is a weapon that can be used and exploited by OUR side, too, isn't it? Let's have an American Muslim challenge that operates on this law. Let's shake up the opposition so they start realizing What They've Done. I think there's a myopia in these opponents of ours that the world is not only flat but it stops at the edge of Christianity and everything else falls off. Well, that's NOT the way it is!!! There are OTHER religions. How about the Sihks? I would say Wicca but that would fail because it's not widely acknowledged or accepted. But Sihks are a widely-recognized religion, however begrudgingly. So is Islam. So is Judaism. What if the NON-Christians start making use of it?
Yes, that's kind of a sideways view of it - doesn't address the problem we all agree we have as a result of this, specific to access to contraceptives. But look at it this way: if you're stuck in a rip-tide, what do they tell you to do? Go sideways. Don't try to reach shore directly. Don't aim in. Go sideways. Swim ALONG THE SHORELINE til you move beyond the current that's keeping you stranded, and then get back to shore that way. You may wind up somewhat downrange, but your feet will be on dry land again.
Because the overriding objective, I think, is to weaken and dismantle this religious protection business. To start chipping away at it, JUST THE SAME WAY THE OPPOSITION HAS RELENTLESSLY CHIPPED AWAY AT OUR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS. Let's take a page from that book and use it against them the way they've used it against us. Those religious protections apply to more than just Christianity or extremist "Christianity."
We have to go about it creatively. We have to do what kkkarl rove always likes to do: Attack them at their strength. Let's challenge their very religious beliefs. Let's challenge their claim that they're Christian. First of all, you can't be "pro-life" if you're pro-execution. Let's establish THAT truth. Start spreading that around. Start fucking with their resolve. Start fucking with their belief system. Find the cracks and the hypocrisies in it and exploit them. The effort to draw attention to Hobby Lobby's business dealings with China - where abortion is as available as free candy - THAT needs to be pounded into the national consciousness, with people talking about it and well-aware of it and hopefully outraged about it. That can be a strike against Hobby Lobby - I'm sure they save all kinds of money buying cheap-ass shit from China when more expensive supplies from elsewhere would bite into their profit margins.
Let's think.
Let's use this.
Let's turn this around so it bites THEM in the ass.
Who knows? Maybe THEY will be the ones to undo this stringent religious protection - if that side suddenly realizes Islam benefits from this, what do you think they might do? At least, this will fuck with 'em badly and shake the ground underneath. We want their resolve shaken, too. We want them confused, confounded, and in disarray, their plans messed with and their objectives confused.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Well worth an R&
Let's fuck with their arguments!
Indeed.
