"Southern Way of Life" is Now "History and Tradition"


When Supreme Court Justices have to resort to "The Southern Way of Life" to put their religious views into law we know the outcome will be bad. This court is doing that. The only difference is they use a different phrase which means the same thing, "History and Tradition."

What is not "history and tradition?" Women not voting is history and tradition. Black people enslaved was called the "Southern Way of Life" but it was history and tradition in the South.

There is also the term "traditional marriage" that implies falsely marriages have always been between one man and one woman. That wasn't true in the Bible. It was not true before the Bible.

There is an old saying, "When you are losing an argument, get personal." Or, "Change the subject." That is what "History and Tradition" is about. It is something to toss out there in court or in politics when you do not have a strong argument. When there is not a good argument for "a human life begins at conception" then say, "History and Tradition have been to consider the fetus as a human."

We all know social mores and customs change. When I was growing up there were no women operating tractors. Women are seen in all kinds of careers. But, "History and Tradition" inform us women are not qualified to make certain decisions such as whether or not to have an abortion. The government is the only body that should be allowed to decide what happens in and to a woman's body. 

Justifying an unjust law by saying it is part of the Southern Way of Life or is part of "History and Tradition" is a door that can never be closed. Anyone can claim most any behavior was part of human history. Certainly, homosexuality is part of History and Tradition. So is skipping church on Sunday. 

Anti abortion and the old white South share views of top down social structures. Maintaining control of society has always been the goal of some groups within every society. It is paramount today to right wing Christianity.  

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