The Natural Linguist

I have seen some very disturbing trends in the last few weeks that prompted some vague misgivings at the time. It is only recently that the issue has become very clear in my mind. A question from my daughter has prompted me to answer in this public fashion. We are seeing the beginnings of a new and terrible form of discrimination and I would consider it an act of cowardice if I did not speak out in the strongest terms possible. Certain churches have theological tenets that prevent them from extending to gay people the full benefits of participation in their organization. This is perfectly within their rights since people are free to associate with those churches or not. But now those churches would like the government to create laws that allow them, based on the principle of free exercise of religion, to extend the reach of their theological tenets outside the walls of their church buildings and to impose them on other people. This is wrong. It is antithetical to the very foundation o