by exploited » Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:27 pm
The problem here is the insistence that religious beliefs have some sort of special "can't touch this" status. Which is true from a Constitutional perspective, but why should it be true when it comes to determining which person out of a thousand that you'll let enter the country? And how can we even determine what is a "valid" religious belief and what isn't? For instance, Muhammad, being the general freak that he was, mildly praised female genital mutilation, but didn't require it. And there is a widespread belief, right or wrong, that it is a religious requirement, particularly in Mali and Egypt. Should a person who professes to sharing that opinion (assuming here that they would be oblivious enough to let it be known) be allowed in? It's been documented as occurring in immigration communities in the US and Canada already.
Or take another issue that is tied up in religion/tradition/culture... domestic violence. The Quran is very clear about how women, particularly wives, are to be treated. Like the Christianity of old, it is widely held that hitting or physically disciplining your wife is a necessary thing in certain circumstances. And the Quran is quite clear that martial rape is perfectly acceptable. Unlike most other religions, these ideas are still taken quite seriously all over the Muslim world. We are only now starting to address our own cultural inclination to abuse women. What impact will several tens of thousands of Muslims have on that? Is this even something we should screen for? Should we care?
I don't know if you guys are aware, but there are still certain Jewish communities who circumcise boys and have the Rabbi use his mouth to stop the bleeding. The end result was a bunch of babies with herpes. This is a religious practice, but should it be protected? Should it be allowed? Obviously there are all sorts of lines that we draw when it comes to religious liberties. And I largely agree with drawing those lines. I'm sorry, but no, you shouldn't be allowed to gently suckle the bleeding penis of a newborn because its your religion... and no, you shouldn't be allowed to practice female genital mutilation... I think people who do stuff like this need to be thrown in jail, because they have committed crimes. The West has never allowed criminals in, and for good reason. So where does that put the Muslim who had his daughters labia cut off, or a Muslim who believes in and will practice corporal punishment in the home, or the Muslim who believes in cruel and unusual punishment, like a religious John Galt?
These are hard questions, and simply saying "NO ERMGAOD RELIGIOUS LIBERTY" is not a particularly sane or even understandable response.