Kenneth J. Fortier: Parker’s problems

In her May 14 column “Our wobbling religious liberty,” Kathleen Parker ominously decried that conservative Christians suffer “the sneers of lefties, academics and proud atheists” and are treated “as though they were Darwin’s missing link.”

She contended that Hobby Lobby’s owners, confronted about applying their personal beliefs to limit employee benefits, were being forced to “render those beliefs unto Caesar.” No, they could unquestionably maintain and practice their beliefs. Their employees’ work incrementally increases their company’s value in exchange for wages and benefits.

Authentic individual liberty should start then. Instead, the owners coerced employees to render their beliefs unto the CEO.

She quoted Jeb Bush, “(We hear) Christianity spoken of as some sort of backward and oppressive force.” Wrong, Christianity’s wonderful doctrines of love and tolerance are never questioned. True freedom lovers are repulsed only when some claim monopoly on understanding how these must be interpreted and applied.

Finally, unintentionally confirming that words, from anywhere, are sometimes just words, and oblivious to a delicious irony, she praised Bush, when he of consummate wealth, privilege and power seeking to become his own nuclear family’s third American president, stirringly affirms among his religious beliefs: “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.”

This story was originally published June 10, 2015 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Kenneth J. Fortier: Parker’s problems."