Freedom of Religion is generally considered a positive around the world. However, laws like the one passed in Australia, despite being enacted in the name of religious freedom, only enshrine further discrimination.
The new law would allow for discrimination based on one’s religious beliefs, no matter the harm another person is placed in. One of the most egregious examples of this right to discriminate is that any law passed by a state legislature that would ban “conversion therapy” for LGBT+ individuals, a provenly ineffective “cure”, would be overturned on the national level, as it would “discriminate against religion.” Religions should not be allowed to discriminate against other people simply because it is within their holy book. I would be labeled a crackpot should I create a new religion that forbids the existence of non-LGBT people and requires conversion therapy, and rightfully so. Yet, a law meant to protect an already marginalized group is considered religious discrimination and cannot be adopted?
Freedom of Religion necessitates Freedom from Religion. If a society prioritizes one’s religion over basic human dignity, it is not a just society. Any laws that enshrine a religious right to discriminate must be considered anathema and abolished.
The US already has such structures in place as to ensure that discrimination due to religion is commonplace. In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment guaranteed the right of Americans to discriminate against others due to their religious beliefs. It solidified an excuse that will surely set an unacceptable precedent. The status of freedom from religion is looking darker not only around the world and in countries like Australia, but here at home as well, and it cannot continue.