You may have noticed that some politicians and judges are no longer talking about the freedom of religion. They now promote a lower standard they call the freedom of worship. The difference is significant. Freedom of religion implies the freedom to express your religious values in the marketplace. Freedom of worship implies you only have that freedom inside your church.

The case of Dr. Eric Walsh suggests that even that weaker “freedom of worship” standard is under attack. He holds both a medical degree and a doctorate in public health. He is an outstanding health director that President Obama even appointed to his Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDs.

After being interviewed by the State of Georgia Department of Public Health, he was offered the position of District Health Director. Dr. Walsh immediately accepted and made plans to move his family across the country from California to Georgia. But then the Georgia officials decided to check into what he has been teaching at his church. They requested copies of his sermons and searched online for others. The Department of Public Health then decided to rescind the job offer that Dr. Walsh had already accepted.

It is worth noting that the behavior of the department in reviewing the sermons was so egregious that its own counsel twice warned them that: “under federal law Dr. Walsh’s religious beliefs could play no role in any employment decision.” Nevertheless, they withdrew the offer and have marked him as a controversial person.

First Liberty attorney Jeremy Dys explains that: “No one in this country should be fired from their job for something that was said in a church or from a pulpit during a sermon.” Fox commentator Todd Starnes warns that: “what you say from the pulpit on Sunday could get you fired from your public sector job on Monday.”

This case illustrates that not only is freedom of religion under attack, but even the concept of freedom of worship is under attack.