Indiana law about personal freedom

The outcry over Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act is proof positive that the First Amendment's protection against government abridgment of the free exercise of religion by each citizen is endangered.

The loud, whining demands that the law be "fixed" or repealed fly in the face of a commitment to individual freedom to believe and live as one's conscience dictates.

The homosexual community and its supporters would say the belief that marriage can exist only between a man and a woman is archaic, simple-minded, hateful and any number of other pejoratives (even though it was the universally accepted view until very recently).

But, the First Amendment was written by those who sought to protect just such beliefs from government interference and compulsion. It is precisely those individually held beliefs in conflict with the politically astute and those who can militate such public demonstrations that most need First Amendment protection.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibits government actions that substantially burden one's exercise of his or her religion. How can someone argue with that? Only those who decide that my religious beliefs are invalid can take such a position.

As long as the First Amendment protection (as embodied in the RFRA) prevails, neither the government nor any individual has the right to dictate those beliefs to me or to any gay, lesbian or other person, regardless of the unpopularity of the beliefs.

PERRY ALBIN

Newman

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Indiana law about personal freedom