Indiana Gov. Mike Pence takes questions about the state’s religious freedom law during a news conference on Tuesday in Indianapolis. (Darron Cummings, The Associated Press)
Irrespective of one’s views of Indiana’s so-called religious freedom law, the real problem is the narrow intellect and thoughtlessness of many legislators at all levels. Does the Indiana legislature mean to give fundamentalist Muslims legal protection for the genital mutilation of their young daughters? Or to keep slaves? Or to kill infidels? Or to give certain cults protection for their polygamy and pedophilia? Only in America can this be an issue.
It is time for all Americans to recognize that religion is not a reliable guide to public policy and we need to cater to it less. The fact is that there are plenty of wacko religious cults whose ideas must be unacceptable to all good citizens.
The constitutional prohibition on a state religion does not mean that the state must protect any illegal behavior claimed to be based on religion.
John C. Flemming,Littleton
This letter was published in the April 3 edition.
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