From the Indianapolis Star: "Faith compels opposition to ‘religious freedom’ bill"

From the Indianapolis Star:

Surrounded by family, my wife, Niki, passed away as her loved ones — across our religious backgrounds — listened to and chanted the words of a traditional Jewish passage. Our 2-year-old is still looking for her mommy, and it’s both comforting and heartbreaking to guide my 3-year-old as she tries to make sense of her mother’s death. Just last week she woke up from a dream with a big smile and said to me “guess what, I think mommy is invisible.” Death is hard to explain to a 2- and 3-year-old, yet the rhythms of our life tell the story. Our weekly celebration of the Jewish Sabbath, when we light candles and recite blessings as a family, is not the same without Niki jumping up and down and singing.

In my period of mourning, I have turned my attention to Senate Bill 101, the “religious freedom restoration” bill that hurts my family and all of us who believe that religion is a source of compassion, comfort and care.

When my 3-year-old tells me that she thinks mommy is now invisible, I can point to my religious tradition for guidance. I can point to people of faith in Indiana who are rallying around our family, who show up with hugs, cards, endless amounts of food, and even offers to walk our dogs.

My oldest daughter is able to make her mommy visible in her heart. Yet in my period of mourning, Indiana politicians are pushing to make our family and hundreds of individuals and families invisible.

Read the full article here.

Learn more about Amy and Niki, plaintiffs in our Indiana marriage case.