Landlord Ruling

Re “Court Upholds Unwed Couples’ Housing Rights,” April 10:

The California Supreme Court ruled that a person’s strong religious beliefs cannot be a basis for her to refuse to rent her apartment to an unmarried couple. The court said that her religion did not require her to rent apartments, and that there were other ways for her to generate income.

This logic has undesirable consequences for society as a whole. As we tell people that they cannot participate in the social and economic mainstream if they want to practice their religious beliefs, they may feel compelled to separate themselves from that society. A society of separate societies tends to breed extremism in belief and behavior.

If we don’t want to encourage extremism, we should encourage people of different beliefs to participate in the give and take of society. We should not be telling people that they must choose between their religious beliefs and participation in society.

DAVID J. ARTHUR