The religious lobby in Wisconsin has introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 43 and Senate Joint Resolution 38 which would alter the state’s constitution to include stronger conscience protection exemptions for religious people. What’s a conscience protection exemption? It essentially means you have to follow the law, just like everybody else, unless your religion tells you that you don’t have to. This isn’t always a bad thing. For instance, a school rule prohibiting the wearing of hats at all times, enforced completely across the board, would prohibit a fully functioning Jewish club. That’s not fair. So sometime exceptions must be made.

The problem is when it goes too far, which is what this bill would accomplish:

Personal religious beliefs should not trump civil rights. This amendment bears the Orwellian title, “Religious Freedom Amendment,” but in reality it would allow any individual to claim an exemption from following any law or policy on the basis of a religious objection. It could be invoked to give parents and guardians permission to rely on “faith” and “prayer” rather than carry out their duty to seek medical care for gravely ill children.

It would allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense birth control, or allow religious employers to pay women less.

It could allow state employees to refuse to marry couples if such a marriage would conflict with their religion — if the couple is inter-racial, for example.

Theoretically, this bill could even allow priests to refuse to report child rape without penalty.

It could allow children to opt out of bona fide schoolwork that conflicts with their religion (e.g., no more evolution!).