Quote of the Day

.

All Americans are guaranteed the right to their religious beliefs, the right to worship (or not) any deity they choose in the manner in which they choose. That is a bedrock principle of this country and progressives would fight tooth and nail to preserve it, should it ever be endangered. The thing is, it's not in danger, other than from conservatives themselves, from people like Bryan Fischer, who last September said that all immigrants should be forced to convert to Christianity. Fischer remains connected to the American Family Association, an organization closely allied to the Republican National Committee.

It's real simple. Conservatives think religious freedom gives them the right to discriminate on the basis of their religious beliefs. They're wrong, because, to paraphrase Zechariah Chafee, their right to practice their religion ends where my nose begins.

– Ian Reifowitz
Excerpted from "Religious Freedom Gives Me the Constitutional Right
to Violate Your Constitutional Rights. Right?"
The Huffington Post
February 2, 2015

Related Off-site Links:
Religious Liberty, Bigotry and Gays – Frank Bruni (The New York Times, January 10, 2015).
As Gay Rights Gain Acceptance, Conservatives Say They Face Discrimination – Harry Bruinius (The Christian Science Monitor, January 30, 2015).
As Southern States Call for "Secession by Another Name" in Response to Marriage Equality, Catholic Right-Wing Leaders Prepare to Issue Follow-Up to Manhattan Declaration – William D. Lindsey (Bilgrimage, January 29, 2015).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Quote of the Day – May 23, 2014
• Two Attorneys Discuss Same-Sex Marriage
• Why Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond Will Be Marching for Gay Rights
• Distinguishing Between Roman Catholic Theology and Civil Law in the Struggle for Marriage Equality
• The Giant Pink Elephant of Religion-Based Bigotry

Image: Kristen Solberg.