Religious Freedom And Discrimination Of LGBTQ Community
“This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened … It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color.” John F. Kennedy. During the American Revolution, the Americans fought against the tyranny of a King who was denying them their basic rights. Thanks to those Revolutionary heroes each citizen of the United States has rights that nobody can take away from them, and if anybody tries to take them away or violates them, they have the right to fight for does rights. The United States has had a deeply religious population since its founding. These individuals immigrated to America because they were sure that this country would let them practice their faith without fear of being attacked. The U.S. has changed as the years go by, but these changes now contradict religious values systems, most notably with the marriage equality of the LGBTQ community. The conflict is more notable in the wedding business sector, because many conservatives, religious business owners refuse to cater to gay weddings. While there are many who argue that religious business owners have the right to refuse to provide their services to gay weddings because they have freedom of religion, this action it's only discriminating against the LGBTQ community. Just like the puritans, the Quakers, Catholics, Jews, and Muslims were provided with equality and freedom the LGBTQ community should be given the same treatment.
The U.S citizens have the right to express themselves without being afraid that they are going to be judged on. Religious business owners are protected by the U.S. constitution to believe in whatever they want, and no government can tell them to go against their own values. The government needs to respect the religious values that its citizens have, and if they refuse to cater to gay weddings is because they have the right to do so the first amendment allows them to do this. Religion is something that has been part of the United States since its foundation, so the world we know today in one way or another has been shaped by religion. What we believe in influence the way we act. The religious business owners claim that they have the right to exercise their freedom of religion. The government can’t force an individual to act or behave a certain way that will contradict their beliefs. As stated by Thomas Jefferson “The constitutional freedom of religion is the most inalienable and sacred of all human right.”
Since the foundation of the United States, religion has played a great role. When our founding fathers were writing the U.S. constitution, they knew that freedom of religion need to be allowed to the citizens, for religion was one of the main reasons millions of individuals immigrated to America. Amendment number one, allows individuals to practice any religion they chose, without fear that they are going to be punished or threatened. Religious business owners have the right to decide who they want to provide their serves and to who they refuse to provide their facilities too. The owners who refuse to cater to gay weddings are doing is exercising their freedom of religion. Many religious people don’t support LGTBQ weddings because this goes against their religious values. For example, Franklin Graham an American Christian evangelist and missionary he believes that marriages are between a man and a woman only and that homosexuality is something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, or praised. Many religious business owners are refusing to carter gay waddings, for instance, Jack Phillips a Colorado baker refused to make a wedding for a gay couple because of his Christian beliefs. The U.S constitution protects allows them to express their thought about any topic and the government can change the values that a person learns from a young age. The providers are only defending their values that were placed by their religion they not trying to discriminate, but these individuals can’t go against something that has shaped their whole lives. Religious wedding business owners have freedom of religion and expression; this right allows them to refuse to cater to gay weddings.
Everyone needs to receive equal treatment no matter their religion, color, social-economic status, gender, or sexual orientation. In my opinion, the LGBTQ community deserves to receive equal treatment just like the Quakers, Catholics, Jews, and Muslims were provided with equality and freedom the LGBTQ community should be given the same treatment and opportunity. Sometimes what influences the way we act leads us to the incorrect path which can cause great suffering to other people. As the Declaration of Independence declares, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
According to Alice Paul, 'I never doubted that equal rights were the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me, there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.” We need to do what is ethically correct and be open-minded about what is happening around us it necessary to understand that we need to see different views of a situation in order to understand the situation. For example, right now we all think and believe that slavery should not be practice because this action is horrible and its ethically incorrect, but in the past, people were able to practice this because they would claim that their religion allowed them to do so. Slavery was seen as a good thing because passages in the bible supported this action. For instance, in Leviticus 25: 38- 46 it says, “You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life…” This passage in the bible supports slavery, yet we abolish slavery because it was something horrible that should not be practice and nobody should go through this horrible treatment. When we abolished slavery, the people were able to forget about religion and do what is ethically correct. It’s the same thing with LGBTQ weddings. Many people who refuse to cater to gay weddings say that in the bible it says that this practice is sinful, but we should be able to separate religion and laws. We need to treat others as we want to be treated, so in my point of view, the wedding business owners should respect the civil rights of the LGBTQ community. Moreover, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote declared that the constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. As Justice Anthony M. said, “Business owners generally cannot deny equal access to goods and services under a neutral public accommodations law.” As stated by Elizabeth Anscombe “A man’s conscience may tell him to do the vilest things.” What may seem like a good thing to us may be the cause of suffering of others.
People may have different opinions and views of certain topics, but the correct thing to do is to listen to both arguments attentively and find the most convenient solution to the problem. The religious business owner claims that what they are doing it's not discrimination because in their perspective they are only expressing their freedom of religion. But base on their arguments they want for the government to respect their civil rights, but if the government does this, they will be violating the civil rights of the LGTBQ community. They also claim that they can’t cater to gay weddings because of their religious beliefs, but why would they mix religion with the business and law. That is why we must separate church and government because we should not mix these two things together. Also, we need to remember that we need to have in mind the different points of view of a problem in order to find a solution. Religious people need to understand that when they refuse to cater to gay weddings, they are only thinking about themselves. They need to consider the other person who is involved in this problem. Citizens of the United States of America need to follow and respect the laws that the government places on them, so they need to respect the decision of the supreme court. In June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, this gave LGTBQ people the right to marry and the U.S constitution protects them from any discrimination and unequal treatment.
People need to do what its morally correct and not only go with what they belief to be the best thing because sometimes what seems like something positive to us can be a negative for others. David Mullins, “No one has to endure the shame, embarrassment and humiliation of being told, “we don’t serve your kind here””. In my opinion I belief that religious business owners should provide their services to LGTBQ people because they equal right and nobody should neglect them from their unalienable rights given by the U.S constitution. If the owners agree to cater gay wedding, they will be doing what is ethically correct and they will be taking a step closer to stop discrimination. Remember what our Declaration of Independence declares, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It's in your hands to do what is morally correct or to follow something that is going to destroying the pursuit of happiness of many individuals and surprise their civil rights.
