Adam Galetti: Defend religious liberty

In the May 10 letter “Religion vs. law,” the writer stated that we should “let our churches decide what relationships to bless based on their reading of their holy text.”

I agree with this statement, but one must remember that the First Amendment’s protection of religious liberty can be violated in more ways than one. It is wrong for the government to force its beliefs on churches.

If the Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriages are legal throughout America, then what would happen to those who refuse to recognize these unions? There is the very real possibility that the federal government will force churches to comply with the new law or else face the loss of tax-exempt status or other penalties.

Christians have a constitutional right to influence society according to their beliefs, but the government does not have the right to force Christians to comply with laws that are contrary to the will of God. One must never assume that the government will leave churches alone if same-sex marriage is legalized.

America is a beacon of hope to the world, but that beacon will shine only if we defend religious liberty as our forefathers did before us!

This story was originally published May 11, 2015 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Adam Galetti: Defend religious liberty."