Guest writer

For the conscience

Bill will protect religious liberty

As a devout member of a denomination vulnerable to marginalization and even discrimination in the state of Arkansas, I feel compelled to write in support of House Bill 1228, The Conscience Protection Act.

Protection of religious liberty is enshrined in our Constitution and in our collective conscience. Nevertheless, substantial opposition to this bill has materialized, deriving primarily from fear that it will sanction discrimination against the LGBT community or provide legal protection for perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.

On the contrary, advocates generally believe that all humans are children of God. Christians embrace the commandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself." The belief that "all are the same unto God" invites civility in everyday interactions, especially with those who differ in faith or lifestyle. Additionally, 30 states already have religious freedom protection laws of some sort, without a single case of courts upholding discriminatory behavior under the veil of religious protection or insulating the perpetrators of abuse from the legal consequences of their deplorable actions.

On the other hand, there is increasing hostility directed toward the expression of religious viewpoints in the public square, even viewing such expression as grounds for punitive state action. Consider several recent examples:

• The owner of a flower shop is being sued by Washington State for declining to arrange the flowers for a same-gender marriage due to her deeply held religious conviction that marriage is limited to one man and one woman.

• The fire chief of Atlanta, Ga., was terminated from his job after writing a Bible study guide asserting that all sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage, including homosexual relationships, go against the teachings of God.

• The Supreme Court of California notified all state judges that their continued employment was contingent upon severing ties with the Boy Scouts of America, even though many consider such activity to be an integral part of the expression of their faith.

A visiting Chinese economist recently observed: "In your past, most Americans attended a church or synagogue every week. When you were there, from your youngest years, you were taught that you should voluntarily obey the law; that you should respect other people's property, and not steal it. You were taught never to lie, and to respect the life and freedom of others the same as your own. Americans followed these rules because they had come to believe that even if the police didn't catch them when they broke a law, God would catch them. Democracy works because most people most of the time voluntarily obey your laws."

Or, as John Adams stated: "The Constitution of the United States was created for a moral and religious people--it is wholly unsuited to the governance of any other."

We stand at a crossroads in our state and nation. Those who seek protection for religious liberty want to live lives of virtue and tolerance as our religious teachings admonish.

Our communities will be safer, our culture richer, and our lives happier when all are permitted the right to express what is of greatest importance without fear of reprisal or punishment by the state. Let's pass HB1228, The Conscience Protection Act.

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Michael Beheshti, M.D., practices in Little Rock.

Editorial on 02/27/2015

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