It is lamentable when an  accommodation that makes good sense is turned down by a legislature.   But I see no reason to think that forcing assimilation of many behaviors is lamentable.  Only the most rose-colored vision of religion that can think that it should not assimilate in many circumstances.  Religiously motivated practices have included slavery, the oppression of women, and polygamy.   The oppression of children for religious purposes continues to this day, putting them at risk of sex abuse, physical abuse, and the suffering and death associated with medical neglect.
 
Marci
 
It's just unavoidable that the Smith rule, without
> strong and frequent legislative protection for religious
> exemptions, will force religious observers to convert
> outright, to minimize their own religiosity, or to change it
> to fit the government regulation -- religious people will
> have "to convert, to pass and to cover."  I find that lamentable.
>    
>     Chris Lund
 
_______________________________________________
To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see 
http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw

Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private.  
Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can 
read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the 
messages to others.

Reply via email to