Should the law allow discrimination IF鈥??

PHOENIX 鈥?Arizona
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/21...

Rep. Tom Prezelski, D-Tucson, and two other Democrats have introduced
a bill would expand a state law that now forbids workplace
discrimination on the basis of gender.
"Some legislators are continuing to support discrimination," Prezelski
said. "They don't think this is politically expedient."

The Democratic bill, proposed for consideration during the
Legislature's 2008 session, includes a provision that religious
organizations could use sexual orientation and gender identity or
expression as criteria for employment as long as the job is directly
related to religious functions.
The stipulation was included to assuage the concerns of religious
groups, Prezelski said.
"They have certain beliefs and we shouldn't trample on them," he said.

In my opinion鈥?this law is the same as attempting to pass a law requiring equal treatment of African-Americans鈥?Unless you are a member of the Southern Baptist church.
IF we as a nation believe that ALL HUMANS are equal then lets have the stones to say it.
IF we believe that all white heterosexual Christian males are equal鈥?Then why are we even bothering to wast the paper to purpose these laws?

Not allowing people to work and support themselves and their families is immoral. Religious organizations should not have the special right to discriminate and deny employment to law-abiding, taxpaying, gay, American citizens. If anyone can discriminate against others on the basis of "religious beliefs," what's to stop someone from saying thier religion forbids them to associate with and employee White people, Democrats or Canadians?

I don't think a sane gay person would want to work for a church that thinks homosexuality is a sin. That don't make no sense. I don't think the church should be forced either.

Go GIRL!!!!!! I agree with you...equality means every company has the same expectations...why let the religious right off...specifically the Christian religious right...I don't seen any specification for the Muslims or Jews....why will the be forced to hire gays/lesbians and not the Christians? Very unfair.

I wouldn't want to work there, but if the law allows discrimination here, then it is easier to allow discrimination there. It is just like my stance on censorship. Usually when someone proposes to censor a book it is a book I don't plan to buy or read any way. But if we say it is ok to censor this, then it is ok to censor that, then eventually someone's religious text gets banned... If we don't start going down that road, then we know we aren't going to go too far.

Hi Penny
Until this Country truly has separation of church and State these kind of laws will be put forth and sadly passed. Look at the currant field of candidates for President, when asked of there religious beliefs every one of them claims to have very deep religious feelings. I would love to see just one stand there and tell the press and the people that his or her religious views are a private matter. But it won't happen, there to busy pandering for votes from the religious right. Every candidate except for a couple on the far left that have no chance of wining are against same sex marriage based on personal religious views. That alone is so blatant of a violation of the constitution that they wanted to amend in order so it would not be. Even if a law banning discrimination based on gender identity were to pass in both houses its dead on arrival at the Presidents desk. Until we, the American people start electing people that are truly willing to put there political carriers on the line to stand up against the church and force them to follow the laws of the land we will continue to have discrimination based on your gender identity and sexual orientation or any other group they find undesirable. You're right, why waste the paper.

Like it or not churches have a constitutional protection to freedom of religion.Different denominations interpret the bible differently and there are over 8,000 christian churches in America that practice Christianity differently they have that right.I live in Arizona and I would be highly surprised that even given legal protection that my employer would keep me employed should the fact that I am TS leak out.There are many ways to terminate an employee without showing discrimination and Arizona is a right to work state so workers allready have little protection.