Letter: Religious freedom is not freedom to discriminate

Recently, the Pasco City Council voted to not consider a “religious freedom” resolution, which supported Arlene’s Flowers in not selling services for a gay wedding. It is important to know that freedom of religion is not unlimited.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled numerous times that religious belief cannot be used as a reason to violate laws. According to Reynolds v. United States in 1878, if you could use any religious belief to break any law, “it would make the professed religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto themselves.” The Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) prohibits discrimination in public accommodation based on sexual orientation.

You have the freedom to believe what you want, express your religious beliefs, belong to any church you want, and choose to associate with whomever you want in private. In private churches, you don’t have to allow gay people as members or perform gay weddings. Businesses don’t have the freedom, however, to use religious beliefs as a reason to discriminate based on sexual orientation in Washington state. Religious freedom is not the freedom to violate anti-discrimination laws.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 4:22 AM with the headline "Letter: Religious freedom is not freedom to discriminate."