Does the New York State law protecting religious freedom truly protect that right? A recent article in the Christian Post raises the question of religious freedom in New York. Let’s take a look.
How Did We Get Here?
A popular tradition in High Schools across the United States is to allow seniors to “personalize” their parking spaces. High School Seniors express themselves through their designs. School administrators require students to meet specific criteria before they allow them:
- Students use water-based latex paint to decorate their spots, and they remove it at the end of the school year.
- Some schools may limit the personalization to chalk art.
- The School Administration pre-approves student designs. For example, the design must meet dress code standards, such as those for a T-shirt worn in school.
- Students generally pay a fee that includes the parking permit and the right to decorate it.
A student at Grand Island Senior High School, near Buffalo, N.Y., has threatened to sue the school after school administrators denied her parking space design, because it included Bible verses and religious imagery. The school claimed that allowing the design would force them to allow satanic imagery designs on other parking spaces. Surprisingly—or perhaps not—people in the United States and New York State recognize satanic worship as a religion, and across the country, public schools have allowed satanic imagery or clubs precisely because they permitted Christian imagery or clubs.
Religious Freedom in The United States
The United States Constitution protects religious freedom in the First Amendment:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
A common misconception about religious freedom is that institutions must not allow religious imagery or practice in specific public spaces. The reality of the law is that the Constitution protects our free exercise of religion and the non-establishment of a particular religion.
Religious Freedom in New York State
In 2011, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched the Religious Rights Initiative:
“Our state’s rich history of religious diversity is founded on our nation’s Bill of Rights and enshrined by laws that protect New Yorkers’ right to freely practice their faith,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “The Religious Rights Initiative will focus on violations of this fundamental freedom, ensure that religious rights are protected, and work with communities throughout the state to foster and promote religious tolerance.”
New York State believes they have strong protections for religious freedom, but do they? New York State has actively mandated coverage for abortion and contraception in employer-sponsored health plans. These include religious institutions:
- New York State’s Department of Financial Services required most employer-sponsored health plans to include abortion in their healthcare plans.
- The mandate had a narrow exemption—only religious entities employing and serving people of their faith could opt out. This meant that religious organizations that ministered to people of all religions would not qualify and would be required to provide abortion coverage in their plans.
- The Diocese of Albany challenged the mandate, arguing its exemption was too narrow. Although New York courts initially upheld the mandate, the U.S. Supreme Court later vacated that decision, requiring the state to reconsider the case.
- Fidelis Care is a Catholic-sponsored insurer in NY. They refused to cover birth control, sterilization, and abortion as it went against their Catholic beliefs. New York State provided a workaround that would include an outside agency to provide these services to plan holders who wanted them. The result was a bureaucratic nightmare and mass confusion amongst the plan holders.
What Does The Bible Say About “Religious Freedom?”
While the political definition of “religious freedom” as we know it today didn’t exist back in Jesus’ time, He often preached about spiritual liberty, freedom of conscience, and the ability to worship God without coercion. He believed that religion was “a matter of the heart.”
Matthew 15:8-9: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
Matthew 15:18-19 states: “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy.”
Acts 5:29 states: “But Peter and the apostles said in reply, ‘We must obey God rather than men.”
Jesus spoke powerfully against religious control, hypocrisy, and persecution, and was oppressed for His message of truth. He was falsely accused, mocked, and crucified because His truth was a threat to those in power. Jesus called out religious leaders for their rules and rituals, while ignoring justice, mercy, and faithfulness:
Matthew 23:4 – “They tie up heavy burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”
In Conclusion ….
Grand Island Senior High School infringes upon the student’s religious freedom by not approving her faith-based design. I understand why the school doesn’t want to approve the design, but failing to do so does infringe upon her religious freedom. Granted, the school is in a tough position since the U.S. and NYS have defined satanic worship as a religion, but the bottom line is that they are wrong here by denying her design.
New York State’s “mandate” to include contraception and abortion in employer-sponsored healthcare plans infringes upon the religious freedom of those who reject these procedures. The exemption was narrowly defined, possibly purposely, to force those who ministered to others, no matter their faith, to accept the inclusion of these procedures even though it went against their conscience. The U.S. Supreme Court stepped in and forced the state to review the case, where it stands today. The mandate is still in effect, but the case is still in the courts.
We must carefully walk the fine line between civic responsibility and religion. All sides must be considered, but the U.S. Constitution protects religious freedom. In those states that try to oppress religious freedoms, people of faith will always stand up with God to fight the oppression.
Please share your thoughts on this article in the “Comments” section.
Peace
If you like this article, you might enjoy:
Unity in a Divided World: A Spiritual Guide
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Division: Understanding Jesus’ Message of Truth
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