Book Burning

[thir]

It's my contention that no religion has the right to tell me whether a gay person can be married, or whether a rape victim should be allowed to have an abortion. It's not their right to decide.

Amen to that ;-)

More than that, it is not their right to tell any gay person themselves about marriage, and so on.

I am not sure why a country with so much emphasis on personal freedom (and so it should be) tolerates the influence of the church.

[Thorne]

I am not sure why a country with so much emphasis on personal freedom (and so it should be) tolerates the influence of the church.

Exactly my point! And not just THE church, but ANY church. Religious organizations should not be allowed to have any more influence or privileges than any other secular organization. People wouldn't stand still if the NBA, for example, got a law introduced which restricted which TV programs people could watch during the playoffs, yet those same people have no quarrel with religious groups determining which stores people can shop at on Sundays.