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Does NH need a law to protect religious freedom?

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The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) is a federal law intended to protect the right of individuals to follow their beliefs.

The RFRA, passed in 1993, says that national laws can only limit a person's exercise of religion if there is "a compelling government interest" and there is no other way to satisfy that interest.

The law only applies to other federal laws, so twenty-one states have passed their own version of the RFRA to limit the impact of state laws on religious practices. Legislators in five other states introduced a version of the RFRA in 2017. There is no action to add a version of the RFRA in New Hampshire.

Supporters of the RFRA note that it has been used to protect the right of Sikh police officers to keep their beards, the right of churches to feed the homeless, and the right of the Amish to drive buggies on public roads. 

Supporters argue that new laws, from the legalization of same-sex marriage to mandates to cover birth control, pose new threats to the religious rights of citizens.

Opponents of the RFRA argue that it is used to discriminate, particularly against homosexual citizens, and allows religious organizations to operate above the law.

According to an article from the American Civil Liberties Union, the RFRA has been used to protect a religious leader from cooperating in a child labor investigation and to allow Catholic hospitals to refuse to perform emergency abortions. 

Should NH pass a state version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)? Share your opinions in the comments below.

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