Call To Action: Petition Seeks To Stop MiRFRA

BY AJ TRAGER

MICHIGAN – A petition launched Dec. 9 to spread the word and gather support against the Michigan Religious Freedom Restoration Act is gaining significant momentum.
When BTL first got wind of the petition, there were less than 1,200 signatures and a published goal of 1,400 signatures. Less than 24 hours later, the petition has been signed by 42,594 people with its peak hour between noon and 1 p.m., gathering close to 100 signatures every three minutes.
"We the citizen(s) of the great state of Michigan believe that this Act endorses bigotry and discrimination. The state of Michigan should not be subject to this unfair Act!" reads the petition hosted by http://moveon.org.
The House Bill 5958, modeled after the 20-year old federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, seeks "to limit governmental action that substantially burdens a person's exercise of religion; to set forth legislative findings; to provide for asserting a burden on exercise of religion as a claim or defense in any judicial or administrative proceeding; and to provide remedies."
In the bill, exercise of religion is defined as: "the practice or observance of religion, including an act or refusal to act, that is substantially motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, whether or not compelled by or central to a system of religious belief."
Many believe, as the petition's author does, that "religious reasons could prevent a person in need from receiving medical help, housing or a driver's license" because someone's deeply held religious beliefs prevent them from assisting a member of the LGBT community.
Among the thousands of Michigan citizens that signed the petition, Wyatt Richardson from Hilman, Mich. said, "I'm personally offended by this. Doctors went to school to save people. I am a person. You will save me. You don't get to choose which people you save. Use your degree as it was meant and quit discriminating."
Robert Schumacker of Mount Pleasant added the following to his signature on the online petition: "Jesus never commanded us to discriminate."
Sydney Spaulding of Lansing added, "The fact that this is absolutely in(s)ane and medieval piece of legislature is even being considered is an outrage. It is only indicative of the fact that many lawmakers have lost their realization of the most fundamental rights that a person has, regardless of their religious or sexual orientation."
And signing as number 42,132, Eursla Moore-Doyle from Kalamazoo says, "Jase Bolger should be ashamed of himself. This is just another way (to) give people the OK to treat people unfairly. Why in the world would the legislators think we the people who elected them (would) be OK with this. We are not. Bigotry and discrimination in 2014. Our forefathers and the other people who have worked hard and even given up there lives to that people would no longer be subjected to this. Would roll over in their graves. Shame on you Michigan shame on you."
Click Here to sign the petition and protect the LGBT community in Michigan.