General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: (Switzerland) Muslim girl made to attend swimming lessons [View all]treestar
(82,383 posts)And the government is not directly involved - the government itself could not discriminate. The Rastafarians could also discriminate - about who gets to be a Rastafarian or who gets to hold certain positions within it.
The case allowing the Amish to do this admits they are a special case - hard cases make bad law. I suspect such a group would not have to be based on religion if it were as long term and as intractable an issue. A new group would have arisen out of our FICA-paying society, and could be expected to adjust.
I suspect we adjust to Free Exercise pretty well, except for things our society considers beyond the pale. We probably would not allow Muslim men to marry more than one woman. But we would let them refuse to swim in the public schools. I think we would likely thing our laws required them to allow girls to wear burkas to school (unlike the French who apparently are making laws about that).