Rick Santorum Supports Religious Freedom Laws (Video)

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), on Sunday said he supports “religious freedom” laws like those in Indiana and Arkansas, and that they are not meant to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

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The militant gay community vilified Indiana’s religious freedom law after its enactment late last month, causing Republican Gov. Mike Pence to backpedal and return it to the legislature for re-drafting.

It also caused a small town pizzeria owner to close his doors because of threats his family received after expressing support for the law on a local TV newscast.

Santorum noted the difference between a business engaging in discrimination from being forced to actively participate in an activity that goes against its owners’ beliefs during his appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

“No business should discriminate … because of who you are,” the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania said. “But it should have the ability to say, ‘We’re not going to participate in certain activities that we disagree with on a religious point of view.’”

Then he offered this startling hypothetical situation.

“If you’re a print shop and you are a gay man, should you be forced to print ‘God Hates F**s’ for the Westboro Baptist Church because they hold those signs up?” he asked guest host Norah O’Donnell.

“Should the government force you to do that? And that’s what these cases are all about. This is about the government coming in and saying, ‘No, we’re going to make you do this.’ And this is where I think we just need some space to say, ‘Let’s have some tolerance (and) be a two-way street.’”

Agencies/Canadajournal