Letter: Religious freedom is under attack

Re: E.J. Montini’s Tuesday column, “Is discrimination among ‘Christian values’ at GCU?”

And so it begins — the persecution of religious freedom by those who equate a religious belief with bigotry and discrimination.

Grand Canyon University, a self-identified Christian University, espouses the religious conviction that marriage is between a man and a woman. And because they do, they are ridiculed as discriminatory.

This subject has nothing to do with equality but it does have everything to do with religious teachings. The secular world is opposed to diversity in thought, words, actions and beliefs. But this nation was founded on the premise and the promise of freedom.

Religious freedom means the right to worship, believe, think, act upon and express what we believe and to advocate one's moral vision for society. That makes religious freedom important for everyone, not just for people of faith.

Mr. Montini and others who agree with him should think long and hard about stifling religious teachings. If religious freedom goes, can freedom of the press be far behind? Or should we say Amen to that?

— Judy Johns, Peoria