Letter: Religion is personal preference, Or..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sen. Orrin Hatch very publicly proclaimed ("Obama's order protects gay workers ... " July 22) that personal preference (religion) in matters of prejudice and discrimination was more important than constitutional rights or federal law or even common human decency.

I would suggest that Sen. Hatch look at what is happening in the Middle East in the name of religion and assess his conviction. Religious discrimination is the root cause of thousands being murdered every month.

In the United States the lessons of the Klu Klux Klan should have demonstrated the danger of that opinion. The Mormon church, among others, can certainly attest to the absolute tyranny of intolerable discrimination. All in the name of religion.

Orrin needs to read and reflect on history and world events a bit more.

Larry Swanson

Salt Lake City

Letter: Religion is personal preference, Orrin