--- title: Indiana's Gay-Rights Conversion description: Religious freedom was never meant to override the inherent dignity of human beings. canonical: https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/ author: Serene Jones article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-02T15:38:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:29.699Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Indiana's Gay-Rights Conversion og:description: Religious freedom was never meant to override the dignity of human beings og:url: https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7529479ab2770c88/698786635f570f6603b1610a/indiana-protest-sb101.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Protesters og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Indiana's Gay-Rights Conversion twitter:description: Religious freedom was never meant to override the dignity of human beings twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7529479ab2770c88/698786635f570f6603b1610a/indiana-protest-sb101.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Dear Indiana: Christian Love Embraces Those on the Margins of Society > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=98a9b14f-e329-4294-9c93-cf8de53be757&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=98a9b14f-e329-4294-9c93-cf8de53be757&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=98a9b14f-e329-4294-9c93-cf8de53be757&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Indiana Gov: No License to Discriminate [Watch (HLS stream): Indiana Gov: No License to Discriminate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/10Zkax5x.m3u8) (0:48)  _Published 2015-03-31. Indiana Gov: No License to Discriminate_  by [Serene Jones](https://time.com/author/serene-jones-3/)  ## Serene Jones Apr 2, 2015 3:38 PM UTC  Thousands of opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, gathered on the lawn of the Indiana State House to rally against that legislation Saturday, March 28, 2015. Thousands of opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, gathered on the lawn of the Indiana State House to rally against that legislation Saturday, March 28, 2015. Doug McSchooler—AP  by [Serene Jones](https://time.com/author/serene-jones-3/)  ## Serene Jones Apr 2, 2015 3:38 PM UTC In the current debate over Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), conservative Christians would have America believe that they stand with a united and monolithic block of the faithful. That all of those committed to following a God who suffered on the cross in the ultimate act of love for humanity are somehow religiously required to discriminate against their fellow human beings because of who it is they love. As a Christian minister, I take great joy in seeing conversion: conversion to faith in Christ, conversion to deeper discipleship. This week we have seen a conversion among many Americans around the dignity and worth of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. As someone who has been deeply transformed by the Gospel, my conscience and my faith demands that I raise my voice in opposition to the oppression and discrimination allowed by Indiana’s original law. I am not alone in this. [Polling shows](http://publicreligion.org/research/2014/06/employer-contraception/#.VRwOqZPF9Mo) that even among white evangelical Protestants — the most politically conservative Christian group on this issue — only a quarter believe that businesses ought to be able to refuse service to gay and lesbian people. Religious freedom is a core American value, one that is cherished by the vast majority of Americans across all religious affiliations. This freedom has allowed Americans to practice the religion of their choice by freely gathering in worshipping communities, and to live out their deeply held beliefs without fear of oppression or discrimination. These very convictions can and should extend into the way that people of faith engage in the marketplace and in public life. Certainly, Jesus’s commands to welcome the stranger and to care for the “least of these” guide me in the personal, professional, and even political decisions that I make. However, when it comes to the society that we share — be it government services like libraries and schools or businesses that are open to the public— there is no place for discrimination. This is an issue of fundamental fairness — a deeply religious and spiritual value. As laid out in our Constitution, religious freedom was never meant to override the inherent dignity of human beings. RFRAs that don’t protect the rights of LGBTQ people have no place in America. In too many parts of America, being gay is a heavy burden to bear. While marriage equality is sweeping across America, and minds are being changed everyday, prejudice toward gay and lesbian people throughout American history has left a deep scar emotionally, and sometimes physically as well. Forty percent of [homeless youth](http://nationalhomeless.org/issues/lgbt/) are LGBTQ. Gay teens are [four times as likely](http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/facts-about-suicide) to attempt suicide. The statistics (and the stories behind the statistics) are nothing short of tragic. What the Indiana law and laws like it say to our precious LGBTQ brothers and sisters throughout the nation is that your dignity and the dignity of your relationships are still up for debate in this country. As a Christian, I follow the example of a God who constantly placed himself with those who are on the margin, whose disciples were made up of the most reviled and marginalized people of his day. This experience of marginalization exposes our sinful theological shortcomings, specifically that we don’t treat everyone who bears the image of God equally. While the legalistic Pharisees sat back and judged all those who did not conform to their understanding of the letter of the law, Jesus cast a vision of God’s law that includes everyone. “Love God and love your neighbor.” Our gay neighbors are suffering. Christian love embraces those on the margins of society, and all of those who suffer. Moreover, Christian love is for each and every one of God’s children. May we have a daily conversion that will bring us ever closer to a Christian vision of justice, freedom, and equality. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/"},"headline":"Dear Indiana: Christian Love Embraces Those on the Margins of Society","datePublished":"2015-04-02T15:38:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:59:29.699Z","description":"Religious freedom was never meant to override the inherent dignity of human beings","url":"https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/","keywords":["Religion"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7529479ab2770c88/698786635f570f6603b1610a/indiana-protest-sb101.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Serene Jones","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/serene-jones-3/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7529479ab2770c88/698786635f570f6603b1610a/indiana-protest-sb101.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Protesters","caption":"Protesters","creditText":"Doug McSchooler—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/","name":"Dear Indiana: Christian Love Embraces Those on the Margins of Society"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Indiana Gov: No License to Discriminate","description":"Indiana Gov: No License to Discriminate","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/10Zkax5x/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-03-31T16:57:09.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/10Zkax5x.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/","duration":"PT48S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3768793/indiana-conversion-religious-freedom/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```