Americans Support Religious Freedom If Convenient For Everyone

One of the most consequential legal terms in the 21st century may be "religious freedom." As my colleague University of Cincinnati political scientist Andrew Lewis discusses in his most recent book, "The Rights Turn in Conservative Christian Politics," religious conservatives have begun centering their legal strategy on the rights of individuals to practice their faith without fear of repercussions from the government. The most notable example of this strategy was the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which two men sued the owner of a Colorado bakery who refused to create a cake for their wedding. The shop's defense rested on the fact that the baker had deeply held religious beliefs about marriage and that to be asked to violate those beliefs by serving two people of the same sex would encroach upon the baker's religious freedom.