In their race to the bottom, the Republicans in the Michigan House and Senate are attempting to roll back the clock on civil rights and social justice, and by and large, they are succeeding.

Republicans currently have bills in the Legislature that would prohibit abortion coverage in insurance plans, define a fetus as an individual and life at the moment of conception. There currently is a House bill that would defund Planned Parenthood in Michigan, ban abortions after the middle of the second trimester and — similar to the legislation recently amended in Virginia — a Senate bill that likely would require a vaginal probe ultrasound before a woman could have an abortion.

Gov. Rick Synder has signed into law a bill that prohibits the spouse of any public employee in a same-sex committed relationship from receiving any health benefits from their partner. Another far-right legislator has even introduced legislation that would invalidate any local ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT people.

There also are a collection of voter suppression bills, mandating voters present poll workers a government-issued photo ID before being allowed to vote and would curtail voter registration drive efforts by third-party organizations. This latest collection of voting bills, with incarnations in before dozens of state legislatures, work to undermine the democratic voting process by making it more difficult for young people, the very old and minorities to vote.

One of the most disturbing techniques within which conservatives are attempting to promote their regressive and draconian agenda is through the hijacking of Christianity — a technique perfected by Presidential hopefuls Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.

Within increasingly shrill postures around social issues, conservative political figures are able to reduce and distort Christianity into a defense of bigotry and discrimination. By willfully ignoring the positive impact churches, synagogues and other spiritual and religious communities have had on the social progression of our country — such as Southern black churches functioning as the catalysts for the civil rights movement in the 1960s — the right has manipulated and distorted history and the religious tradition in the United States.

The United States was founded by those seeking to flee state-sponsored religion and the ensuing religious persecution many experienced at the hands of both the church and the state. It was with this in mind that the early settlers sought to create a separation of religiosity and public policy so all can choose to worship — or not worship — freely without the imposition of the government.

However, legislators in Michigan and elsewhere currently are attempting to impose their own conservative biblical interpretations on all of us through discriminatory legislation currently working its way through both chambers.

Right now, House Bill 5040, currently sitting before the House Committee on Education, would allow any counseling, psychology or social work student to refuse to counsel anyone who they found morally or religiously objectionable.

Senate Bill 0975, currently sitting before the Senate Committee on Health Policy would allow anyone in any way affiliated with health care programs, services or policies to deny providing, paying for or assisting in a health care service they found religiously or morally objectionable, including providing contraception or other family planning services.

Enjoying widespread support on the right, both bills would have dire consequences for some of the most vulnerable populations in Michigan.

These bills come on the heels of the national embarrassment that was the so-called “license to bully bill,” where late last year Michigan Republican Senators attempted to exempt those who had a “religious or moral objection” to LGBT people from the state’s anti-bullying law. That amendment was thankfully defeated.

It is important that we reject arguments that attempt to couch discrimination and bigotry as the promotion of religious freedom. We should also be concerned about the fanaticism with which the Michigan Legislature has been perusing social policy under this new Republican leadership.

Mitch Goldmsith is a State News guest columnist and social relations and policy, women’s and gender studies senior. Reach him at goldsm40@msu.edu.