Liberty, properly includes the liberty to treat others unequally.
I don't question that. What I question is the extent to which one can reasonably press a claim of religious or any other liberty in a diverse society where other people have liberty and rights, too.
And personally I would be against giving equal treatment (by private individuals, I'm not talking about the government here), primacy over liberty.
I agree as regards private individuals in private situations. When private individuals go into business, however, the situation is no longer private. There are lots and lots of other considerations that must be balanced. In a business environment, reasonable accommodation is made for the religious liberty of employees. For example, an employee may have religious symbols in his cubicle, where others may encounter them, but cannot put them in the conference room, which is not his personal space but is shared by other noses. Does the latter constraint limit his religious expression? Sure, but that's where the balance lies and it cannot reasonably be otherwise. |
