The people of Indiana should "stand their ground" on a religious freedom measure banning state laws that hamper a person's ability to follow his religious convictions, former U.S. Alan Keyes urges.
Speaking on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV on Monday, Keyes asserted it would be inappropriate for Indiana lawmakers to tinker with the controversial new law signed last week by
Gov. Mike Pence that has come under fire for purportedly being anti-gay.
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"It is a privilege of people at the state level to deal with these issues like marriage, and the issues that are involved in religious freedom and the courts at the national level have no business saying they can invent a right and then force people to violate their religious conscience," Keyes said.
"The people at the state level just need to stand their ground."
Keyes' remarks came as two top Indiana lawmakers vowed Monday
to amend the religious freedom law to clarify that it can't be used to discriminate against gay people.
Keyes said the Indiana law is gaining attention "because there have been court decisions that purport to put things like homosexuality and gay rights in the category of fundamental right, inalienable right."
"It's very problematic when you start fabricating rights to cover behavior rather than to cover those things that are, as it were, as the declaration said, ordained by the laws of nature and of … God so that there's no limit to the restrictions that you could put on religious conscience," he said.
"The question is this: if you happen to be somebody who runs a Kosher restaurant, that people come and want to get married in and have a banquet, which all kinds of pork is going to be served, are the courts going to force you to cook pork?"
Keyes also sounded off on a reporter's
tweeted claim that Secretary of State John Kerry, asked if there would be a deal made with Iran about restrictions on its nuclear program, responded, "Inshallah," or "God willing" in Arabic.
"Unhappily, it's the mentality that's a bit dominant in the Obama administration," Keyes said. "They have got a commitment … to one of the most active governmental forces that has been sponsoring terrorism against the United States and organizations that target the United States.
"Who knew he was going to be the first Islamic president?" Keyes scoffed.
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