It appears that a small number of extremely well funded Christians and Christian groups have been relatively successful in buying (from our "elected" "representatives") the legal precedent that Christian "freedom of religion" does not exist unless Christians have the ability (special right) to deny a wide variety of freedoms from everyone else. Non-Christians and non-believers already have to put up with frank religiousity in government settings such as government sponsored prayer favoring a single religion, religious statements favoring judeo-christian religion on currency, state sponsored religiously motivated limits to reproductive freedom, unequal treatment of minorities based on religious beliefs, state support of religion through tax free status, etc., etc., etc.

Religious and non-religious hospitals have already been given the special right not only to force all patients to comply with the religious beliefs of the hospital with regard to reproductive and end of life care, but to omit that fact from the admitting contracts the patients must sign to obtain treatment (as if they had a choice). The Supreme Court recently extended the 'religious freedom" of non-human corportions to overrule the religious freedoms and reproductive rights of their living breathing human employees in Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby. A recently passed law in Indiana which is under consideration in other states appears to extend to small businesses and individuals the Christian special rights of the "religious freedom" to deny equality under law from anyone they say does not live up to their religious standard.

It should be very disturbing situation to anyone who values freedom and democracy over tyranny and theocracy that American Law increasingly includes numerous precedents establishing that Christian "religious freedom" does not exist unless Christians, and even worse, Christian business entities, have the "right" to deny anybody religious freedom, numerous other freedoms, and equality under the law.

by Groff Schroeder