A Side Note on Religious Freedom

Religious Freedom is one of the many blessings and benefits of being a citizen of this great country, the United States of America. Even those who come here to visit from countries that do not experience the freedoms we have benefit from those freedoms while in the United States.

Part of religious freedom is the right to choose employment in a field that accommodates your religious persuasion. If a certain day is holy or special to a person, they can choose employment that lets them have that day off. Perhaps a certain food is to be avoided by the adherents of a certain religion - not a problem! There are plenty of jobs where one can avoid the forbidden food item. Is one a teetotaler? There is abundant employment that does not require a person to see, taste or handle alcohol.

Suppose a person's employment is a service to people, and occasionally places them in indirect contact with items that are "forbidden." For example - taxi drivers. These people are paid to transport persons from one location to another for a fee. Sometimes these people have had too much to drink and need a safe ride home. Sometimes a vision impaired person will have a guide dog. If a Taxi Driver's religion prohibits them from even casual contact with booze and dogs, should that person remain in that particular job? They have a choice, don't they?

In the Minneapolis-St Paul area, this issue has again come to the forefront. Many of the predominantly Muslim cab drivers are refusing to take passengers who carry alcohol. Some refuse to assist the blind who need a guide dog to negotiate the roads. This may be a cultural clash issue, but those cab drivers should enjoy and respect the religious freedom we have here and either adapt and assimilate, or maybe find a different job.

Have a look at Little Green Footballs' comments on this article. It gives a more accurate "infidel rejection count" than Reuters did.

Indulge me. I must mention Ron Paul in this blog so his minions will continue to believe he is the most popular Republican presidential candidate when, in fact, they are spamming polls to inflate Paul's popularity and are sorely deceived. The poll that really matters, that one on the primary election day, will be a disappointment for them.