A federal judge in Illinois has refused to dismiss a case filed against a driver's license requirement involving religion.
The state will not issue a driver's license to anyone who refuses to provide his or her Social Security number for religious reasons. Attorney Mat Krause of Liberty Counsel explains why he believes the state is at fault. "Where we find the harm...is that the statute that the secretary of state is acting under gives [that office] the ability to determine which person has a bona fide religious objection and which one doesn't," argues Krause. "And once they have that, that crosses the line of being able to freely exercise your religious faith." He explains that another problem is that people who object to providing their Social Security numbers must have a letter from their pastor. Krause strongly disagrees with this requirement and feels that it is wrong, as churches do not always employ traditional pastors. "That's exactly right," he stresses. "I mean, what if you're in a home church and don't have necessarily a traditional pastor? There [are] just so many different faiths and religions out there today, not everyone's going to follow a traditional method of having a pastor or priest who can write them such a letter. That's another thing that goes beyond the pale in this statute." It appears the case will go to trial.
The state will not issue a driver's license to anyone who refuses to provide his or her Social Security number for religious reasons. Attorney Mat Krause of Liberty Counsel explains why he believes the state is at fault. "Where we find the harm...is that the statute that the secretary of state is acting under gives [that office] the ability to determine which person has a bona fide religious objection and which one doesn't," argues Krause. "And once they have that, that crosses the line of being able to freely exercise your religious faith."
He explains that another problem is that people who object to providing their Social Security numbers must have a letter from their pastor. Krause strongly disagrees with this requirement and feels that it is wrong, as churches do not always employ traditional pastors. "That's exactly right," he stresses. "I mean, what if you're in a home church and don't have necessarily a traditional pastor? There [are] just so many different faiths and religions out there today, not everyone's going to follow a traditional method of having a pastor or priest who can write them such a letter. That's another thing that goes beyond the pale in this statute." It appears the case will go to trial.
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