I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.
-Thomas Jefferson
In recent months, there have been many discussions about religious liberty. People have claimed that the contraception mandates violates religious liberty. Schools are constantly dealing with conflicts about religious freedom. Churches like to claim that the government must protect their rights to preach in schools. Churches claim that governments must protect secular institutions's "religious rights."
Where does religious freedom end? When does someone lose the ability to justify their actions with religious freedom? The line is apparent to me. You can't use your religious freedom to harm other people or infringe upon their rights. This line exists with other constitutional rights. Hate speech, gun crimes.
So when you decide that an someone shouldn't gain access to the healthcare they need because of your religion, you are in the wrong. If that person chooses not to take contraception because of their religion, that is fine. But they shouldn't make that decision because of someone else's religion. If you think that it is okay to deny gay and lesbian people the right to marry, you are in the wrong. You can't decide that your religion is more important than someone else's when it comes to that other person's life.
As for schools, the guideline is thus: If it is the students who are doing something religious independent of the school's staff, it is okay. But the school shouldn't force a religious belief on someone. Nobody should. Churches like to think that they have this right. Nobody does. Nobody has the right to stop someone from exercising their religion. But there is a broad difference between the two that some people can't see.
Where does religious freedom end? When does someone lose the ability to justify their actions with religious freedom? The line is apparent to me. You can't use your religious freedom to harm other people or infringe upon their rights. This line exists with other constitutional rights. Hate speech, gun crimes.
So when you decide that an someone shouldn't gain access to the healthcare they need because of your religion, you are in the wrong. If that person chooses not to take contraception because of their religion, that is fine. But they shouldn't make that decision because of someone else's religion. If you think that it is okay to deny gay and lesbian people the right to marry, you are in the wrong. You can't decide that your religion is more important than someone else's when it comes to that other person's life.
As for schools, the guideline is thus: If it is the students who are doing something religious independent of the school's staff, it is okay. But the school shouldn't force a religious belief on someone. Nobody should. Churches like to think that they have this right. Nobody does. Nobody has the right to stop someone from exercising their religion. But there is a broad difference between the two that some people can't see.
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