Unpacking the First Amendment & Tolerance

“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it,” attributed to Patrick Henry
There has been a movement afoot for a while now to dial back our First Amendment rights. It is so gradual that it can go virtually unnoticed. Let’s read it:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
A few weeks ago the Herald ran our annual front cover in celebration of Easter. In response we received this Spout Off: 
Court House – The front page of the Herald this week is narrow and discomforting. We have people of all faiths and no faiths in this county and a full, front-page religious spread can put off a lot of readers. The newspaper is supposed to be an all-inclusive news source and I think one religious article on the front page would have been more than enough, other things are happening in the county!
This submission expresses a strikingly different view of the Herald’s rights under the First Amendment, right of free exercise of religion, and the right of freedom of speech. The fact that our community is comprised of people of all faiths and no faith is true, but in our country, we not only tolerate differences, we do so gladly, and expect the same in return. We have always done that as Americans. Accordingly, I appended a note under the above which stated: “Tolerance is a two-way street.”
Subsequently, we received this Spout Off:
Villas – In regards to the editor’s response to the spout criticizing the religious cover of the Herald on March 23: Your cover was not about tolerance, and trying to defend yourself by saying “tolerance is a two-way street” in regards to criticism is willfully missing the point. The original poster is not being intolerant, they were holding our county’s news sources to higher standards. The newspaper should cover county news, not promote religious ideologies. Making covers that are explicitly religious only serves to alienate instead of promoting the tolerance you claim to care so much about.
This author said the original Spout Off was not about intolerance, but a higher standard, suggesting we limit ourselves to printing the goings-on of the community, and stop there. I’m sorry, but that goes right back to the movement afoot I mentioned above, to undermine our First Amendment rights of free speech and religion. It is noteworthy that there are a lot of ideas being promoted in America which make many Christians very uncomfortable, and Christians are being asked to tolerate them; on the other hand, Christians whose views differ are being ever-less tolerated.
Allow me to add, the life of a community is far more than the news of what happens. If a newspaper doesn’t deal with all which encompasses people’s lives, it underserves its community. 
Art Hall
From the Bible:  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8