Why They Can't Leave Us Alone

 I came across an article from USA Today by Jon Gabriel who notes that the The Supreme Court has a big question to answer: Why can't government just leave us alone?

In modern American politics, there are two types of people: those who want to control others and those who just want to be left alone.

The second group used to be the more celebrated. Think of the immigrants tired of following orders from their “social betters,” deciding instead to forge a new life and identity in the New World.

When cramped living conditions and factory foremen became too much to bear, these families pushed farther West. Some headed to smaller towns in the middle of the country while others formed new communities in the unsettled Mountain West.

Unfortunately, the busybodies have caught up with the individualists, in this case, in the State of Colorado. The State, using State law, wants to force Lorrie Smith, the founder of design studio 303 Creative to create art for same sex marriages against Smith's personal views. Note that there are other firms doing similar work who would be happy to have the business.

Smith has LGBTQ clients but does not want to promote same-sex marriage because it violates her beliefs. And because there are countless businesses that will create websites, no loving couples will be harmed by simply choosing another vendor. In fact, they’ll likely be happier supporting a designer who agrees with their views.

Using the overbroad language of its state law, Colorado could force an atheist to design a church website, a kosher deli to cater a Christian nationalist rally, or a Muslim advertiser to promote a pulled pork barbecue restaurant.

Alternately, the state could just leave its residents alone. But when you want to control what other people do, think and believe, leaving people alone isn’t an option.

One can only hope the Supreme Court makes clear that these laws that essentially make it legal to bully people you disagree with are wrong. The fury of the Left at the existence of one company that decides to decline business that goes against the owners principles is hard to understand. Why can't the Left leave Lorrie Smith alone; why can they not live and let live?

As a Lutheran, one understands that all us of are in the cross fire between God and the Devil. We are like mules, who will be ridden either by God or by the Devil. The story of Job describes our lives perfectly.  Much as we might like to live and let live, we are forced to pick a side. It is clear which side the State of Colorado is on.