33 Examples of Intolerant Liberalism in 2014
2014 may be remembered as the year of intolerant liberalism, also dubbed the new intolerance, dogmatic liberalism and illiberal liberalism.
In no particular order, here are 33 examples of intolerant liberalism in 2014:
1. "Duck Dynasty"
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The year began with a controversy surrounding the popular television show Duck Dynasty. In January, A&E announced the reinstatement of Phil Robertson after he was initially suspended from the show for controversial remarks about homosexuality.
2. HHS Continues to Force Americans to Support Products for Which They Have Ethical Objections
Even after a repudiation from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Obama administration has continued its effort to force some Americans to pay for birth control and abortifacient drugs that they find morally objectionable.
Closely-held corporations must be allowed an exemption from the birth control mandate if it violates their sincerely held religious beliefs, the Court said. Nonetheless, the Obama administration has continued to require that certain religious groups, like colleges and hospitals, be active participants in something they find morally objectionable.
There were many other examples this year of liberals trying to force Christians to participate in an activity that is in opposition to their religious beliefs:
3. New Mexico Photographer Forced Out of Business for Declining to Photograph Same-Sex Wedding
4. Colorado Baker Forced to Make Gay Wedding Cake
6. Washington Florist Required to Serve Same-Sex Wedding
7. Christian T-Shirt Printer Ordered to Take "Diversity Training" for Refusing to Make Gay Pride Shirts
8. Gay Couple Sued Pennsylvania Wedding Venue for Refusing to Marry Them
9. Idaho Wedding Chapel Faced Fines for Refusing Gay Weddings, Before City Backed Off
10. State Laws to Protect Religious Freedom Under Attack
In reaction to efforts to force Christian wedding vendors to serve same-sex weddings, some states sought to pass or strengthen their state-level version of the national Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The federal RFRA was passed with almost unaimous bipartisan support in the 1990s and signed by President Bill Clinton. In 2014, however, the nation was deeply divided over whether religious freedom should allowed when it comes into conflict with, what some call, "gay rights." The debate first occured in Arizona, where opponents falsely claimed that the law would allow businesses the right to deny gays access to public accomodations. The debate continued in Georgia, Mississippi and Michigan.
11. Gay Activist Groups Withdraw Support for ENDA Because It Protects Religious Freedom
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act had the support of gay activist groups last year when it was passed by a Democrat-controlled Senate. But after the U.S. Supreme Court supported religious freedom protections for Hobby Lobby, some gay advocacy and atheist groups rescinded that support, saying they could not support a bill that also protected religious freedom.
12. Gordon College Under Attack After Its President Signs Letter Asking for Religious Freedom Protections in Obama's Executive Order
After President Barack Obama announced he would sign an ENDA-like executive order for government contractors, Michael Wear, who led the faith outreach for Obama's 2012 reelection campaign and worked in Obama's Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, wrote a letter to Obama, along with 13 other signers, encouraging him to include the same religious exemption that was in the Senate bill.
One of the signers of that letter was D. Michael Lindsay, president of Gordon College, an evangelical college in Massachusetts. Even though the letter was not asking for any special treatment for Gordon College (the order only applied to government contractors), the letter was written by a former Obama White House staffer, and the letter was only asking for what was already in a bill passed by a Democrat-controlled Senate, the act of signing that letter made Lindsay and Gordon College a target for certain gay activist groups. As a result, the mayor of Salem, Massachusetts, ended a contract with the school and Gordon is being investigated by its accrediting agency.
13. Brendan Eich Forced Out at Mozilla for Supporting Traditional Marriage
Brendan Eich, the CEO of Mozilla, was forced out of his job because he supported a California ballot initiative to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
14. Harvard Student Called for End to Tenure to Expel Conservative Professors
Writing for the student newspaper, a Harvard student called for getting rid of tenure so that colleges could get rid of conservative professors.
15. HGTV Cancels Benham Brothers Show
HGTV cancelled a reality show with the "Benham Brothers" after they discovered the brothers were outspoken conservative Christians.
16. SunTrust Bank Cancels Benham Brothers Bank Account
For some intolerant liberals, conservative Christians should not only not be allowed to have their own TV show, they should also not be allowed to have bank accounts. After the public controversy, SunTrust Bank told the Benham Brothers they would no longer have them as a customer. After a public backlash, SunTrust reversed its decision.
