Religious exemptions like this are a perfect encapsulation of an age old refrain meant to shield those who say it from critique and ridicule: “It’s my faith.”
Remember these three words, and you can get away with holding some of the most ludicrous beliefs against common decency and good sense imaginable.
Gay people shouldn’t be able to marry. It’s my faith.
People whose religions are different from mine are going to hell. It’s my faith.
Atheists shouldn’t be president. It’s my faith.
Jews cause mischief and corruption. It’s my faith.
Women should sit at the back of the bus. It’s my faith.
Apostasy should be punishable by death. It’s my faith.
I murdered a woman. It’s my faith.
And on and on with this patently dangerous nonsense that, were it not divinely sanctioned, would be universally dismissed out of hand as the garbage that it is. Instead, these sentiments have justification in sacred texts written by ignorant men of antiquity who knew less about the world than a modern day middle school student. Yet amazingly, not only do believers accept these ideas as facts, but even those who do not, actually respect these dearly held beliefs.
We see it often enough here on DU where criticism of the pope and his misogynistic, homophobic organization by its victims is called "bigotry".
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