The recent passage of legislature in Washington state for same sex marriages has brought an interesting issue to mind- well, at least my mind. Why are religious organizations such as churches, Christian schools, etc… exempt from the law and individuals are not?  

According to the papers I read, a church board of elders, for example, does not have to hire someone who is a lesbian or gay man to fill a needed area of service or ministry. Yet a wedding planner or private photographer does not have the option of bowing out of a request for their services.

Does that make any sense to you? When I last read the constitution and the bill of rights, it was the individual who was given the freedom of  life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And are these exempt institutions not simply the conglomeration of free individuals who have come together for the purpose of doing business or working on a common purpose?  

When I was a manager in laboratory medicine, I allowed my phlebotomists (blood drawers) to bow out in drawing HIV individuals according to their personal choice. How could I force a worker making $8.23 an hour to put their life on the line just because two men wanted to have sex with eachother?