WASHINGTON – In response to today’s Supreme Court arguments in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Woods cases, Interfaith Alliance president, Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, expressed hope for a court ruling for what he considers “the more traditional” view of religious liberty, saying:
“Unfortunately, some people in the faith community have taken a shortsighted approach to religious freedom over the last few years in an attempt to turn the first amendment into a free pass to opt-out from any public policy with which they do not agree. This misguided approach has been used as a battering ram against marriage equality, tax law and – in this case – the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.”
“Hopefully, the Court will rule for what I consider the more traditional, and dare I say more conservative, view of religious liberty. That decision could prompt a return to a saner debate on these issues. The First Amendment should be understood as it always has been: a guaranteed protection for the rights of religious minorities and unshakable assurance that one’s religion does not define one’s relationship to the government. Gone, I pray, would be attempts to use religion to create a private right to discriminate or the ability to opt out of laws that one finds unsavory. The age of so-called ‘conscience clauses’ and the over-broad religious exemption would finally begin to wane.”
Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.