Peter Aitken: Religious freedom not compromised

Regarding the June 27 news article “U.S. Supreme Court extends gay marriage nationwide”: The Supreme Court’s decision legalizing gay marriage is indeed a momentous change, a change that was necessary to ensure that equal protection under the law is not just an empty phrase but applies to all Americans.

It is certainly understandable that traditionally minded people may find this change regarding marriage to be disturbing, just as freeing the slaves, granting women the right to vote and the end of Jim Crow were disturbing to some. But to call this an assault on religious freedom is purely nonsensical.

Freedom of religion means we can run our lives according to the precepts of our religion. It does not mean we can use the government to force others to live by those precepts.

As an analogy, imagine having neighbors whose orthodox Jewish faith forbids eating pork. Do we violate their religious freedom when we tuck into a plate of barbecue? Should our neighbors ask the government to ban pork? Of course not.

So, if the same-sex couple down the street gets marriedm we may not approve, but our religious freedoms are intact.

This story was originally published July 4, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Peter Aitken: Religious freedom not compromised."