Antisocial Strain of Sincere Religious Beliefs Is on the Rise

At Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's recent confirmation hearings, Senator John Cornyn pointed out a persistent problem in secular liberalism. Sometimes, religious freedom comes into conflict with other constitutional rights. Like other conservatives, Cornyn is especially concerned with the fact that marriage equality and LGBTQ anti-discrimination protections could require conservative Christians to accommodate, do business with, and, in short, not discriminate against people. And he thinks that their right to religious freedom outweighs the rights of others. He argued that in Obergefell, the 2015 case that recognized the legality of same-sex marriage in the United States, the court had created a new right that conflicted with old rights. He asked Jackson if she could see how this is a problem, "particularly in an area where people have sincerely held religious beliefs." "Well, Senator," she responded, "that is the nature of a right."