These laws are good and bad. For instance, development on sacred grounds or a prohibition on using hallucinogens in religious practices is unacceptable. But when those laws open the door for discrimination or irresponsibility in one's profession the become a serious issue.
So, in Indiana, we supposedly have shock and surprise from lawmakers at the backlash the law has garnered.
Well, no shit. The law is broadly worded in a landscape where religious freedom has joined States' Rights as a magic word allowing people to bypass federal and state laws. And, apparently, social norms.
I get it. You're a florist or baker opposed to gay marriage on principle. You're a pharmacist that sincerely believes that Plan B is tantamount to abortion. You're a doctor opposed to abortion in any circumstance. I respect those beliefs and I'd hope any of those people would respect my beliefs as sincerely.
Here's the issue. You've chosen to open your bakery or flower shop to the general public. You've entered into a social contract that requires civility and a modicum of respect for others.
If a church chooses not to perform gay marriages, that's a well-defined boundary. A church is a private, faith based organization. By definition it exists to promote and adhere to a set of morals and virtues.
But a doctor is (rarely) a pastor. A pharmacist is rarely ordained.
Plan B is not abortion, full stop. The best medical literature has not found any evidence that Plan B is tantamount to an abortion. Pharmacists are in a profession based on that science. Despite a belief to the contrary, a pharmacist is obligated to act on that neutral, scientific evidence.
A doctor is bound not only by the same scientific principles but the Hippocratic oath. Since scientific literature is not necessarily clear on the biology of all aspects of abortion, I am perfectly willing to accept an exemption for elective abortions.
However, in a life or death situation, a doctor has to rely on the wishes of their patient or revert to triage. The patient most likely to survive takes precedence.
For a tl;dr, once you choose to operate in a public, secular environment your operations and actions are no longer governed by faith-based convictions.
