Edie Szyperski: Conscientious objectors

In response to the July 9 editorial “A wasteful fuss,” may you kindly consider without ridicule the strongly held beliefs of your many News & Observer subscribers who for reasons of our faith do not believe in same-sex marriage.

The Religious Liberties Law that was passed is crucial for the civil liberties of state magistrates who hold convictions that make them unable to perform a same-sex marriage.

I remember an America where conscientious objectors were allowed to stand down from participating in national conflicts, and today this seems to once again fit the bill.

No person should be forced to go against his conscience to perform any action that defies his religious belief, and certainly there should not be any negative repercussions or threat of a job loss when they refuse – if this is still the land of the free.

This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Edie Szyperski: Conscientious objectors."