>The thing I don't get about this whole faux controversy is since when is it professionally acceptable to discriminate against someone for their private political views and esp. those that might be informed by religious beliefs so long as they don't bring them into the workplace?

Because actual voting is essentially worthless now that our judicial elders have dictated that spending money is the same thing as speech. Money now buys elections, moreso than votes. So we're learning to vote with our dollars like the fat cats do.