On the surface, 2015 was a stormy year for religious liberty. The topic made news more regularly and controversially than at any time in recent memory. In hindsight, however, there were also quiet points of consensus that should be hailed — and not only in their own right but also for their promise in resolving conflicts where agreement has so far proven elusive. As Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow explained years ago, “accommodation and negotiation can identify practical solutions where abstract principles sometimes cannot — and, in the meantime, build mutual trust.”
Sure, 2015 saw Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act fight, the Kim Davis saga in Kentucky, and even Donald Trump’s proposed religious test for immigration. But there were also occasions of unity that confirmed the abiding reality that religious liberty is a cherished part of our national identity that can typically be protected in a way that honors competing interests. These instances also revealed the under-reported fact that most religious liberty cases have nothing to do with sex or national security; they simply involve people of marginalized communities or beliefs trying to live and work in a pluralistic society while honoring their consciences.
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