Religion, another protected class, is demonstrably mutable in that people convert between faiths regularly. Although there’s a deeper philosophical puzzle about whether anyone can volitionally change their beliefs — you can’t simply wake up tomorrow and will yourself into believing the sun is actually your childhood friend Josh.
My impression is that religion becomes protected through a different mechanism. History is full of the horrific effects of one wave or another of religious persecution, religious establishment, wars of religion, crusades and jihads, inquisitions, forced conversions, expulsions of dissidents, and so on.
Religious freedom (including nondiscrimination) is a peace treaty, in which we say we’re not going to do those things anymore.
My impression is that religion becomes protected through a different mechanism. History is full of the horrific effects of one wave or another of religious persecution, religious establishment, wars of religion, crusades and jihads, inquisitions, forced conversions, expulsions of dissidents, and so on.
Religious freedom (including nondiscrimination) is a peace treaty, in which we say we’re not going to do those things anymore.