It’s time to protect religious liberty in the marriage debate
April 15, 2014 ( Heritage ) - For years, a central argument of those in favor of same-sex marriage has been that all Americans should be free to live and love as they choose; however, does that freedom require the government to coerce those who disagree into celebrating same-sex relationships? A growing number of incidents demonstrates that the redefinition of marriage and state policies on sexual orientation have created a climate of intolerance and intimidation for citizens who believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman and that sexual relations are properly reserved for marriage. Now these citizens are facing a new wave of government coercion and discrimination . State laws that create special privileges based on sexual orientation and gender identity are being used to trump fundamental civil liberties such as freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. Consider the case of Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene Flowers, who is being sued