The new guidelines address issues ranging from religious apparel to handling holy days, from water cooler debates about abortion to supervisors inviting employees to church. But employees must refrain from such expression when a fellow employee asks that it stop or otherwise demonstrates that it is unwelcome. And there's the rub. To give believers the right to speak their mind, others will need to tolerate a few highly opinionated messages. Some religious groups will face competition in the marketplace of ideas.
Religious liberty is messy, but it beats all the alternatives.
Terry Mattingly teaches at Milligan College in Tennessee. Reprinted with permission. Reproduction is prohibited. Online Christian Resources.