The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle is not a fan of Georgia's 'religious freedom' bill

• Lalitree Darnielle/Courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• The Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle

The battle over Georgia's controversial "religious freedom" bill could reach one of its most one pivotal moments today. Sometime after 10 a.m., the Georgia Senate will cast votes either for or against Senate Bill 129. If you've been following along for the past few months, the bill, depending on which side you ask, could bolster religious rights or discriminate against LGBT men and women. The legislation has since become a lightning rod for people in Georgia and outside the state.

The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, has caught flak from the LGBT community, progressive groups, a former attorney general, and even some corporations during the legislative session. But the criticism cranked up a few notches earlier this week when McKoon and other Republican supporters on the Senate's Judiciary Civil Committee passed an amended version of the bill while state Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, was taking a bathroom break, having sat through two lengthy hearings earlier that day.

Republican lawmakers had enough votes to move the measure forward. So Fort's presence wouldn't have actually affected the outcome. But the decision to move forward with the vote left a sour taste in opponents' mouths. That apparently earned opponents of the bill a vocal ally in John Darnielle, frontman of the Mountain Goats, who's known for making frequent Biblical references in his songs.

In a series of tweets this morning, Darnielle and McKoon traded selected Biblical verses in discussing the "religious freedom" bill. Darnielle initiated the conversation by calling out McKoon's hypocrisy. "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him," Darnielle quoted from the book of Proverbs.

.@JoshMcKoon read Proverbs 11:1 and reflect on your conduct this week.
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) March 5, 2015

McKoon fired backed with a few lines from the book of Matthew. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged," he quoted. "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

.@mountain_goats might I suggest Matthew 7:1-3 for you?
— JoshMcKoon (@JoshMcKoon) March 5, 2015

Classic Biblical rebuttal! Darnielle followed up with a verse from the Second Epistle of Peter. "He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters," he quoted. "His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." McKoon, seemingly shocked at Darnielle's response, commented how it was unfair for Darnielle to judge him since the two had never met.

.@mountain_goats it is fascinating how willing people are to believe the worst about those they have never met.
— JoshMcKoon (@JoshMcKoon) March 5, 2015

That response didn't phase Darnielle. The songwriter then called out McKoon for "rigging" the committee vote to advance his bill while a major opponent wasn't present. "By their fruit you will recognize them," Darnielle quoted from the book of Matthew. "Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" McKoon defended his actions by blaming the absent lawmakers for missing the vote in a public meeting. Their votes wouldn't have changed the outcome anyway, the state Senator said.

.@mountain_goats had everyone been present for a publicly advertised meeting which started 15 mins late the bill would have passed 5-3.
— JoshMcKoon (@JoshMcKoon) March 5, 2015

After that reply, Darnielle accused McKoon of "flouting scripture for partisan gain" and urged him to hold another committee vote. But Darnielle doesn't think the state senator will engage anything more than "playground tactics." "Can a corrupt throne be allied with you, a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?" he quoted from Psalms.

@JoshMcKoon it's not me who'll be asking you for an account of your actions - you flouted scripture for partisan gain & now won't cop to it.
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) March 5, 2015

@JoshMcKoon but if you were sincere, then you'd say "I hate to look unfair, let's re-hold the vote with all members present"
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) March 5, 2015

@JoshMcKoon but you're not. You are very happy to have applied playground tactics in passing laws. Hence, Psalm 94:20.
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) March 5, 2015

McKoon hasn't responded to Darnielle's latest round of tweets yet. The Georgia Senate is expected to vote sometime today. The bill would then move over the House at a later date. We'll keep you posted.