But religious exemptions to laws have been granted only within very prescribed bounds — including the principle that you're entitled to religious accommodations only if they don't burden or harm others, or otherwise create havoc in the legal system. read more
“The right to cause harm” amounts to “The right to violate someone’s rights” which is a contradiction. So no, you never have such a right no matter what cultural traditions or religious edicts you choose to follow. read more
I’d call that an abuse of religious freedom. We all have the right to believe and practice our faith, but we do not have the right to coerce others to follow our beliefs or the right to cause others harm. That’s where limits come in. All freedoms in a democracy have limits. read more
Religious conservatives aren’t simply inventing their appeal to religious conscience—unfettered religious freedom really does mean the right to discriminate, the right to deny medical care, the right to interfere in an outsider’s dying process, the right to beat children, and more. read more