A right to be weird is a good reason to give religion special treatment

Abstract

Proponents of special treatment for religion are increasingly drawn to the implausible claim that (what someone takes to be) divine commands should always supersede human ones. A better account would acknowledge that religion is only one among many profound human concerns. The recognition that there is an enormous variety of deep and valuable commitments undergirds the claims of both gay rights and religious freedom. These can only be protected one at a time, and that is a sufficient reason for singling out religion for special treatment.