With all the discussion and debate on conscience rights, I feel the need to stop writing about farming and food and make a political statement.
If the government can force you to do something that is against your conscience, you are not free.
Period.
Seeing how any of the examples people give of this are all related to sex (gay marriage, distribution of birth control, abortion), I think this is a hidden way of taking away peoples freedom of religion.. or at least reducing the freedom on religion to something you can do in the privacy of your own home but don’t do it in public.
Let’s make the disclaimer that you will never have the right to murder someone even if killing them doesn’t bother your conscience. Drunk driving is not a conscience issue, it is a’don’t be stupid’ issue.
If you want to live your life in a certain way (fundamentalist evangelical or homosexual), as an Albertan and Canadian, you should have the right to live the way you want… to the point that is doesn’t hurt someone else.
If what you believe offends me, that’s okay because I am an adult and I can deal with it. If what I believe offends you, I hope you can be adult about it as well. When someone confronts me about having a big family, should I charge to the HRC and claim discrimination?
But let’s not bring Big Brother with a big stick, ready to beat us into submission or fine us into bankruptcy, into this discussion.
I think we have taken human rights from actual human rights to the right of not having your feelings hurt.
If our society needs the government to step in everytime someone feels offended, I have little hope for us.
