NO LEGAL RIGHT TO DISPLAY RELIGION

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website):

No legal right to display religion

It is very welcome that most of the cases that came before the European Court recently regarding the merits of religious privilege were thrown out.

Why do the religious among us believe their beliefs and prejudices must always trump everyone else? If we all started claiming  the right to discriminate based on our own personal philosophy, the rule of law would disintegrate overnight. How arrogant these religious folk are.

A person's religious conviction is not entitled to special expression simply because it is religious in nature.

Political stances are felt just as strongly, but can you imagine the outcry if a Marxist claimed special privilege to discriminate against the owner of a business simply because he din't believe in private capital?

Religious beliefs should never allow a person to renege on their duties in public service, and religious obligation should always play second fiddle to the democratic rule of law.

Mark Sperry, National Secular Society member, Leicester