We’ve all heard stories about how some Christians pharmacists cite “conscience clauses” to withhold birth control or morning-after pills from women because those things go against their faith. (Of course, they should be fired for not doing their job.)
But this notion of religious fundamentalists thinking the rules don’t apply to them stretches beyond the pharmacy.
Pam McLaurin, an evangelical Christian and kindergarten teacher in Texas, refuses to give police her fingerprints for a background check and she’s suing over it.
Her lawsuit cites the Bible — which, in her mind, says that fingerprints are the Mark of the Beast.
Her attorney, Scott Skelton, said his client believes that the computerized fingerprinting, in which her fingerprints will be stored in a database, is the mark addressed in Revelation. The teacher does not believe that it is merely coincidence that Revelation says only those with the ‘mark on his forehead or on his hand’ will be able to buy or sell, since only those teachers who comply with fingerprinting requirements will keep their jobs, he said.
“This law prohibits the free exercise of her religion,” Skelton said in a telephone interview.
Before anyone comments that someone with her mentality shouldn’t be allowed near children, I should mention there’s no evidence that she teaches Creationism or preaches hellfire or anything like that to the children. So I’ll avoid that characterization.
As for her sanity? That’s up for debate.
Regardless, this is still a problem.
If she gets her way, what’s to stop criminals who don’t want to be fingerprinted from using the same argument? Couldn’t they refuse to give a DNA sample for religious reasons as well?
It’s a slippery slope we’d be heading down if this lawsuit gained any traction.
(While we’re at it, how could the Mark of the Beast come from fingerprints that she surely believes God created? Oh, never mind… there’s no use trying to parse the logic in her argument when there is none to begin with.)
The Christian God Has a Lot of ..."
Catholic School Expels Kids After Finding ..."
Congressman Defends Equality Act in Stirring ..."
“Prophetess”: I’ve Time-Traveled and the Media ..."