Phil Robertson and the Thought Police

I am well aware that I already posted this weeks book this morning, but in light of circumstances I felt the need to write again.
This morning I posted a review of George Orwell's 1984. For those of you that are still unfamiliar with the story, it is a dystopian novel written in 1949 predicting a world in which inhabitants are no longer able live freely. They have lost their freedom of speech, and even the freedom to think. They have no freedom to practice religion, form opinions, or earn an education. They no longer have the freedom to even form their own thoughts. Their every word, action, and emotion is constantly observed by those in power. Their every freedom is obliterated.
I, like many others, found this concept extremely frightening. We have all seen 1984 come and go without any such transformation, but Orwell's concept is not as far fetched as many people may assume.
This morning, I was completely outraged to hear that Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson had been banned from A&E for expressing his beliefs. I find it horrifying that an individual in our society is no longer able to express an opinion without being condemned for it. Many people are aware that the Robertson's are practicing Christians. They are aware that the family has already been under fire for concluding each episode of their show with prayer. And they are aware that gay marriage is not supported in the Christian faith.
This is not an issue of homosexuality. This is about a man who is being attacked and punished for practicing his chosen religion and expressing his beliefs. Regardless of your stance on gay marriage, this should terrify you.
We all argue for the freedom to express ourselves. To protest abortion or to support a woman's choice. To support gay marriage or to believe in a union between a woman and a man. To believe in God, or Allah, or Jesus Christ, or to not believe in a higher power at all. We all want that right. And for one group of people to silence another is a tragedy.
We cannot silence an individual for expressing one opinion and expect to draw the line at another. Maybe Orwell's Oceania still seems like a figment of his imagination, but how long will it be until others are silenced? Until Christians are no longer allowed to express their beliefs anywhere. What religion will be targeted next? And is it possible that it won't stop at religion? How far is too far? Where do we distinguish the line between our free society and the world of 1984, where every mind is engrained with the same beliefs.