Religious exemptions

[Sir Patrick Crocodile]

I am not sure about everybody else here, but I am just fed up with this whole idea of religious exemptions.

Just a few minutes ago I was on the RTA site reading (out of curiosity) about the zero BAC for learners and provisional license holders, when this piece of shit made itself visible to me:

Originally Posted by RTA

Note:

Religious observance

The zero BAC law is designed to target drink drivers, not to prevent young people from participating in religious observances. If you are caught driving with a blood alcohol level above zero, but below 0.02, and you can prove to the Court that the alcohol was consumed during a religious ceremony, this will be a defence.

(From the RTA site)

What the fuck is next? Those who can prove that their religion requires one to have a full license will get a full license while skipping the other stages?

Or even muslims being exempt from speeding laws. Wear a burkha, and get caught doing 150km/h in a school zone, but it's fine because you were going to the masjid for laylat-ul-qadar and you couldn't afford to go late because Allah will punish you.

Not only that, but there are universities that tend to give religious lot exemptions from being absent, they're permitted to miss exams and have supplementaries for their stupid beliefs, etcetera.

The tax exempt status, the funding of religious organizations, the Paramatta council letting religious organizations barge into residential areas to promote their gibberish, etcetera.

I just think it's ridiculous that people are allowed to get out of restrictions placed on everybody else, because they believe in a cosmic jewish self-paternal zombie or have an invisible imaginary friend or worship an oversize set of action figures on steroids or whatever. I am starting to think there's little, if any, hope of changing anything around here regarding this.

[Deanus-Maximus]

I'm really lost for words... all I can say is that this is simply infuriating

[Onlyatheory?]

I can't even bring myself to try to think of a rational reason for this kind of crap
Agree with them or not, some exemptions you can turn a blind eye to, but this is saying that it is OK to put everyone around you in danger as long as it is for religious reasons. Gets back to the egocentric undertones of their monotheistic beliefs.

[Spud Henley]

This is stupid. Soon some religitard will claim that he was speeding in the hope of ending his life sooner to get to heaven faster.

[DanDare]

Further evidence that oz is not secular and needs to be soon before the shit really hits the fan.

[Sir Patrick Crocodile]

Originally Posted by Spud Henley

This is stupid. Soon some religitard will claim that he was speeding in the hope of ending his life sooner to get to heaven faster.

There are some religions where timing is crucial. Islam is one such religion. Can't pray even a few minutes too late.

I'd think mostly the speeding offense and running red lights would be committed in such religions where timing is critical to them.

It is definitely stupid.
Soon there may be mormons who don't want to wear seat belts because it interferes with the power of their magical underwear.

[Sieveboy]

I note the exemption does not apply to medicines, some of which must be taken on a strict timetable or else symptoms may not be controlled etc.

That is massively hypocritical and more dangerous than the difference between 0.00 and 0.02 BAC, which does not singificantly affect driving skills or reaction times.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/r...hnicalsum.html

Governmental Fail.

[Logic please]

Originally Posted by Crocodile

It is definitely stupid.
Soon there may be mormons who don't want to wear seat belts because it interferes with the power of their magical underwear.

Or possibly, rapture Xtians who claim an exemption from wearing seatbelts, so that it doesn't interefere with ascending bodily into heaven

[davo]

My beer god shits all over their imaginary one

[ABridgeTooFar]

Good find Croc.

This is disturbing. My footy club has drinking rituals as well, does the RTA want to prevent us from performing footy Gods work?

Whoever made this decision needs to take a good hard look at themselves and wonder if a position of power in a large company is really the job for them. Obviously Christians love that sort of stuff, especially jobs where you can influence the lives of others, but i hope they re-consider...