On Monday the Supreme Court ruled in favor a Texas death-row inmate who was denied his request to have a Catholic priest present at his execution. The case challenged a Texas policy that denies all condemned prisoners the benefit of clergy. 

It’s not just the condemned: Texas has denied communion to Greek Orthodox prisoners and kosher food to Jewish prisoners. 

Oddly enough, in 2019, the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to proceed with the execution of a Muslim prisoner after the state denied his request to have an imam present. I hope this means the Court has had a change of heart. 

That’s because religious freedom is intended for everyone, even for groups of people we might not like. A state that denies access to clergy for Muslims or even prisoners condemned to die for their crimes can easily find reasons to restrict other religious freedoms as well. Including the religious freedom of Christians.