Federal Judge says the government shouldn't protect religious liberty too much

US District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan said that the government should persuade organizations that receive taxpayer money to honor the 1st Amendment rights of their employee's.

The Obama appointed  Judge said:

“Wherever the outermost line where persuasion gives way to coercion lies, the threat to pull all HHS funding here crosses it,”

Since the issue is whether or not medical providers have to perform abortions or other medical services that conflict with their religious beliefs what the judge is saying is that it's wrong for HHS to use the power of the government to get  companies that receive taxpayer dollars to follow the law; in this case the 1st Amendment.

It's unlikely that Judge Engelmayer would have had the same concerns if the issue were say discriminating against minorities.  Can you image in a case where the HHS used the exact same threat to get companies to stop discriminating against minority employees that Engelmayer would have condemned that too?

The reality is that the Judge is legislating his own personal pro-abortion ideology under the guise of interpreting the law.