On Wednesday Night, Sep 25^th ,  we will have a discussion about Religious Freedom. In the 1^st Amendment to the US Constitution, it says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Most people assume that this 1^st Amendment guarantees you the right to freedom of religion – that you can live according to your beliefs.  However, a recent decision by the Supreme Court of New Mexico makes you wonder how much religious freedom we really possess.

Elane Huguenin is a photographer in New Mexico. She and her husband Jonathan own a small business that they operate out of their home – Elane Photography. The Huguenin’s are Christians, who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

In 2006, Vanessa Willock contacted Elane Photography, asking Elane to photograph her lesbian commitment ceremony. Elane thanked Willock for her interest, but explained that due to her religious beliefs she only does traditional weddings. Willock filed a complaint against Elane with the New Mexico Human Rights Commission, citing a state law that does not allow  discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The commission ruled Elane’s decision illegal, and imposed a fine of $7,000 to cover legal fees. The case was appealed all the way to the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Last month, the New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower courts decisions, that Elane Photography is a “public accommodation,” and because they photograph wedding ceremonies they cannot refuse a gay-commitment ceremony. One of the concurring judges wrote: “At its heart, this case teaches that at some point in our lives all of us must compromise, if only a little, to accommodate the contrasting values of others. A multicultural, pluralistic society, one of our nation’s strengths, demands no less. The Huguenins are free to … pray to the God of their choice … But there is a price, one that we all have to pay somewhere in our civic life.”

Is this Judge right?  Should Christians be willing to compromise our convictions “if only a little”, give up a little of our religious freedom, and “love our neighbor” enough to do business them even if we don’t agree with them?

The Question of the Evening is:

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