article_snippet.sent: (CNN)By now, you probably have a position regarding The controversy over Indiana's religious freedom lawIndiana.
article_snippet.sent: You applaud the growing chorus of companies blasting Indiana's religious freedom law as an invitation for businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians, using religion as a cover.
article_snippet.sent: The issue drives a wedge because, well, the debate over religious freedom and gay rights is always heated, but also because the interpretations and motives behind Indiana's religious freedom law can be questioned.
article_snippet.sent: Whichever side you're on, here are five things you might not have considered when thinking about The controversy over Indiana's religious freedom law.
article_snippet.sent: Indiana's religious freedom law was intended to protect individual's religious freedom from government intervention, Sen. Chuck Schumer said.
article_snippet.sent: Also, Indiana's religious freedom law was envisioned to protect the religious freedoms of individuals, while Indiana's religious freedom law also protects private companies, Sen. Chuck Schumer said.
article_snippet.sent: So, how can Indiana's religious freedom law's supporters claim Indiana's religious freedom law is basically a copy of Indiana's religious freedom law?
article_snippet.sent: If you look at the purpose of Indiana's religious freedom law, the language in the federal and Indiana religious freedom laws are indeed  nearly indistinguishable.
article_snippet.sent: The uproar is over that fact that Indiana's religious freedom law expands the reach of the religious protections to include private companies and cases where the government is not involved.
article_snippet.sent: Other states previously passed Other states own version of Indiana's religious freedom law -- Indiana became the 20th.
article_snippet.sent: But other state laws mirror Indiana's religious freedom law much more closely than Indiana's religious freedom law does.
article_snippet.sent: The key difference in Indiana's religious freedom law is that Indiana's religious freedom law expands the instances where someone can use religious freedom as a defense.
article_snippet.sent: What would happen if the case happened today in Indiana, with the new, expanded religious freedom law?
article_snippet.sent: In a letter expressing concern about Indiana's religious freedom lawIndiana , a group of 30 legal scholars argued that what Indiana has done is expanded the scope of Indiana's religious freedom law to the point that religious considerations might trump discrimination concerns.
article_snippet.sent: In our expert opinion, the clear evidence ... unmistakably demonstrates that the broad language of the proposed state RFRA will more likely create confusion, conflict, and a wave of litigation that will threaten the clarity of religious liberty rights in Indiana while undermining the state's ability to enforce other compelling interests," the letter, whose signatories included many Indiana law professors, stated.
article_snippet.sent: Yes, Indiana's religious freedom law Indiana makes it clear that individuals and private companies can use the religious freedom law as a defense, Blackman said.
article_snippet.sent: What's clear is that Indiana's law increases the potential pool of people who can defend themselves claiming religious freedom.
article_snippet.sent: In the meantime, some are already hatching plans on how to test the law, including Bill Levin, founder of The First Church Of Cannabis, who argued on CNN that Indiana's religious freedom law should protect Indiana's religious freedom law right to smoke pot.
article_snippet.sent: Much is being made of the fact that Indiana's religious freedom law was signed by President Bill Clinton more than 20  years ago.
article_snippet.sent: Today, Indiana's religious freedom law is being championed by Republicans.
article_snippet.sent: Indiana's religious freedom law came into being after two Native Americans in Oregon were fired from two Native Americans in Oregon jobs at a rehab clinic because two Native Americans in Oregon had consumed peyote, the hallucinogenic cactus.
article_snippet.sent: There was outrage over the decision, and Indiana's religious freedom law was created as a remedy.
article_snippet.sent: As envisioned by Indiana's religious freedom law authors, Indiana's religious freedom law would protect the freedoms of religious minorities.
article_snippet.sent: Over the years, Indiana's religious freedom law helped a number of people -- a Muslim prisoner won the right to grow a short beard, a Santeria priest was allowed to sacrifice a goat on special religious occasions, and a Native American boy received an exception to a Native American boy school's policy banning long hair on boys.
article_snippet.sent: Indiana's religious freedom law was on the books for years, with little attention paid to Indiana's religious freedom law.
article_snippet.sent: Though not enshrined in Indiana's religious freedom law, critics accuse the states pursuing the laws of using critics to justify discrimination by the majority religion.
article_snippet.sent: So we've established that the biggest difference between the federal law and the Indiana law is the scope: In Indiana, the Indiana law can be raised as a defense in private disputes, while the Indiana law applies only to government matters.
article_snippet.sent: The outrage over Indiana's religious freedom law is that Indiana's religious freedom law can be used to deny services to the LGBT community on the ground of religious beliefs.
article_snippet.sent: Some may rightfully ask, "Where was The outrage over the Indiana law before Indiana's religious freedom law?Indiana
article_snippet.sent: For this reason, Holbrook suggests that a "fix" for Indiana's religious freedom law would be the passage of a nondiscrimination law.
highlights_snippet.sent: The controversy over Indiana's religious freedom law is complicated .
  