To me, the prisoner clause demonstrates just how thin this bill's veneer of "religious equality" is. Certainly this amendment would not lead to more open and equal protection of all religions. That protection is already guaranteed under the current wording, "Almighty God" aside. These new, specific tests of religious protection (i.e., the "freedom" to have one religion represent the beliefs of the entire state's citizens, the "freedom" for schools to abdicate responsibility for teaching anything that might conflict with a student's beliefs, and the stated lack of freedom for prisoners) demonstrate that this bill has nothing to do with real religious freedom. It is just an attempt to enshrine certain pet issues of conservative Christianity into Missouri's Constitution under the guise of protecting religious expression.
And, to be blunt, I say to hell with that.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In