Pastor Rick Warren, who has ominous ties to Uganda’s Kill The Gays bill, finally has seen the light. Last night, Warren tweeted, “INDIVIDUALS,not just institutions,get religious freedom.U shouldnt be forced to pay for MY choices that violate YOUR belief.” (By the way, Rick, you don’t need to shorten words — you had 17 characters left in the tweet.)
Pastor Warren is right. “Religious freedom” includes freedom from religion, and freedom to not have to pay for his choices that violate my beliefs.
Radical extremists rarely if ever see that the world is a two-way street, and what is true for you is true for me. What works for you works for me. What happens to you happens to me.
So, Pastor Rick, take your anti-gay religious views on marriage, and stop making me pay for your church’s tax exempt status.
Stop making me subsidize your marriage, and the marriages of all opposite-sex couples, while forcing me to be a second-class citizen — denied the right to marry.
Yes, Pastor Rick, individuals, not just institutions, get religious freedom. So those religions that allow same-sex marriage should not be prohibited from marrying same-sex couples.
Respect my right for freedom from your religion.