“Freedom of religion and religion has been used to justify all kinds of discrimination throughout history,” said Colorado Civil Rights Commissioner Diann Rice, “whether it be slavery, whether it be the Holocaust, whether it be …” Here she trailed off.

“We can list hundreds of situations where freedom of religion has been used to justify discrimination,” she picked up again. “And to me it is one of the most despicable pieces of rhetoric that people can use to — to use their religion to hurt others.”