The right has tweaked meaning of 'religious liberty'

(Center for American Progress) -- On March 23, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Zubik v. Burwell, a consolidation of seven cases brought by religiously affiliated nonprofits that object to the federal government-provided accommodation to the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Beyond further restricting reproductive rights, the Court’s ruling could affect the ability of all Americans to freely exercise their beliefs. The objectors in Zubik are opponents not only of contraceptives but of true religious liberty to which every citizen ought to have unfettered access.
In recent years, the term “religious liberty” has become distorted as conservatives attempt to cloak discrimination against women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, individuals; and religious minorities as a defense of their own liberties. As conservatives lose ground on culture war issues, they are increasingly employing religious liberty arguments to circumvent laws that they disagree with. Religious liberty should not be the exclusive privilege of employers. Nor should it permit employers to impose their beliefs on their employees, many of whom hold different religious views and beliefs.

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