A Proposal: Remove All Privileges of Religious Organizations that Exceed

[zipplewrath]

19. Sorta my point

We extend various forms of privilege. Strangely, many here would recognize a journalists right to protect sources as a feature of the 1st (as limited as it may or may not be) even though many courts have said there is no actual such right. We extend it to a great degree to various medical professionals, again often with limits. Probably the most stringent version is for lawyers. But the argument for lawyers is going to be much like that for the clergy. Lawyers will claim the inability to represent their clients. Clergy will claim in ability to engage spiritually with a person.

In the end I think it is a perfectly reasonable discussion to have. But one should not ignore the courts potential to rest arguments extensively upon first amendment protection to the free practice of ones religion.

I presume that the objection here has to do with clergy being exempt from mandatory reporting requirements that teachers and other professionals are exposed. I suspect that one would have to look at what lawyers were required to do under similar circumstances.