The so-called "religious freedom" laws being debated in Indiana and Arkansas clearly illustrate the war of wills which, although age-old, does seem to be ramping up of late between older, close-minded conservatives and younger, close-minded progressives. Face it, few amongst us still live in tiny, insular communities of like-minded folks, and no one else. Today's society puts almost everyone in potential contact with almost everyone else. So, to peacefully coexist elbow to elbow with one another, everyone has to bend a little and learn to think of others. The laws, in fact, should force them to do so, whether they like it or not. Tolerance is the price of freedom and rights.
Conservatives (unless they want to move to a remote cabin in the backwoods) need to do their part by admitting that they will always have to share their space with people who do things they find offensive. And, by choosing to be members of society, they have a responsibility to put up with those annoyances, try to ignore them, and move on.
Progressives (unless they want to move to a remote, self-reliant commune somewhere) need to do their part by admitting that, while they may inherit the earth someday, they haven't yet. They don't own the public square---and, with their right to be non-traditionalist or eccentric, comes the responsibility to avoid offending people around them whose values may be more traditional and less politically correct than theirs.
These religious freedom laws are tricky. They must be very carefully worded in such a way that both sides are forced to compromise and become more tolerant. Or else they will never work.
