Our ability to seek the truth about God and live up to our beliefs has been an integral part of the American order from the beginning. No other nation has such strong protections for religious freedom. James Madison described this as an inalienable right. The Declaration of Independence recognizes these rights as "given by [our] Creator." The Constitution and other legal protections reflect the importance of religious freedom to the United States.
This freedom to live according to very different religious beliefs has allowed men and women of different faiths to live, work, study and pray in peace side by side. Any attempt to suppress our freedom to worship, teach, and live our faith is an attack not only on human dignity but also on the foundation that has made America strong.
In recent years, government measures have interfered with religious freedom. The new policies are forcing many Americans to violate their fundamental beliefs on important issues like life, human sexuality, and marriage. It is especially important now to re-understand why religious freedom is important to all Americans and to be willing to talk about:
- What is freedom of religion?
- Who benefits from freedom of religion?
- What are the consequences of restricting religious freedom?
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- What is freedom of religion?
Religious freedom protects the right of people to live, speak and act their faith in a peaceful and open way. It protects their ability to be themselves at work, in class, and in social activities. Religious freedom is more than "freedom to worship" in a synagogue, church, or mosque. This ensures that they do not have to go against their core values and beliefs to fit into the culture or government.
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- Who benefits from freedom of religion?
Religious freedom benefits everyone. Treat all people equally: Christians, Jews, Muslims, agnostics and atheists. Religious freedom preserves the diversity of the United States, where people of different religions, worldviews, and beliefs can live together in peace without fear of government punishment.
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- What are the benefits of freedom of religion?
Religious freedom benefits both individuals and communities. For many Americans, a relationship with God is the most important aspect of their lives, and their faith guides them toward values like honesty and responsibility that impact their families and communities. Encourage them to volunteer at coffee shops, homeless shelters, schools, and other organizations that help those in need.
An estimated 350,000 religious communities operate schools, birthing centers, soup kitchens, drug addiction programs, homeless shelters, and adoption agencies. They serve 70 million Americans each year and the value of their services is estimated to be more than $44.3 billion per year.
- What are the consequences of restricting religious freedom?
Restrictions on religious freedom are forcing Americans to cut jobs and preventing organizations from delivering much-needed social services to their communities. It also jeopardizes other civil liberties, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, and even economic freedom. Social service providers and religious educational institutions often hold core beliefs on topics such as marriage, family, and sexuality. Forcing them to compromise their religious commitments would undermine their ability to serve their communities.
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- Do only individuals enjoy the protection of religious liberty?
Freedom of religion applies to individuals and organizations, including charities and businesses. When people with important personal beliefs come together to run businesses or charities, the new organization they create is considered a "legal entity." People do not "give up" their beliefs or rights when they form a partnership or start a business.
The United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the Little Sisters of the Poor (an order of Catholic nuns); hobby lobby shops; and religious colleges and universities cannot be forced by the government to pay for abortion-inducing drugs and devices that go against their religious beliefs.
- Should believers be forced to change a particular religious belief to conform to changing opinions or laws?
NO. The government should not be in the business of policing religious ideas. The teachings of many religions are based on the belief that truth is eternal and unchanging. Insisting on changing your beliefs to accommodate new cultural norms goes against the nature of your beliefs. Imposing specific religious ideas and practices on all citizens also rejects the freedom of conscience on which our nation was founded. Each person is free to have their own individual religious views.
The Supreme Court rejected the idea that the United States government should force all citizens to have an official sentence in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Beard:
“If there is a fixed star in our constitutional arrangement, it is that no official, high or low, can dictate what should be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or any other matter of opinion, or bind citizens in word or deed. a profess their belief in him.”
(Video) Can Religious Freedom and LGBT Rights Co-Exist?
- Religious people can believe what they want and worship how they want. Why do they need to get their beliefs out into the public square?
Most people, whether religious or secular, strive to live their lives with integrity and align their actions with their beliefs. They should not pretend to be different just because they are at work or volunteering. Jews, Christians, and Muslims recognize that their faith must be lived openly at school, at work, and in public. Religious freedom not only protects a person's beliefs, but also protects their right to act in accordance with their beliefs.
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- Doesn't this just create special rights for believers?
NO. Religious freedom prevents the cultural majority from using state power to impose their beliefs on others. Protectsalle-religious and non-religious—that the government becomes so powerful that it can tell people what to think and how to act. Conscience is the most sacred right of the individual. A government that interferes with conscience will not hesitate to interfere with our other liberties.
- Doesn't freedom of religion allow people to do what they want under the guise of religion?
NO. The federal government may restrict religious freedom when absolutely necessary to promote justice and protect the common good. To do this, the government must show that it has a “compelling interest” and that its methods are rigorously designed. This test limits the government's ability to restrict religious freedom beyond what is necessary to protect individuals and prevent harm to others under the umbrella of religion. For example, freedom of religion does not protect a man from punishment for abusing his family, even if he claims that his religious beliefs led him to do so.
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- Aren't there many cases where companies refuse to serve LGBT people using religious freedom grounds?
NO. Employers are happy to serve and employ everyone in these cases, including people who identify as LGBT. They are addressed to all people, but they cannot express all the messages. They may not create custom art that celebrates events or expresses messages they disagree with, as it would betray their own religious beliefs. No citizen should be personally and professionally destroyed for refusing to accept a current cultural norm. A government that can force a creative professional to support same-sex marriage can force anyone to adopt ideas and messages that go against their beliefs.
According to our Constitution, "aesthetic and moral judgments about art and literature must be made by the individual, not by the government, not even with the mandate or consent of the majority."
- Is religious freedom a "license to discriminate" that goes back to Jim Crow laws?
NO. Jim Crow was a legally enforceable regime of racial segregation based on the idea of racial supremacy. These laws closed economic markets and prohibited pro-segregated businesses from opening their doors to African-Americans. The government had to pass public housing laws to protect African Americans from widespread discrimination that systematically denied them basic necessities. Same-sex couples, on the other hand, have many ways to access the goods and services they desire, including custom artwork for their weddings. However, some providers who serve all customers cannot express all messages, including those who disagree with the belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.
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- Is opposition to same-sex marriage rooted in the same kind of prejudice as opposition to interracial marriage?
NO. The Supreme Court made it clearObergefell contra Hodgesthat many people who oppose same-sex marriage do so for "decent" and "honorable" reasons, while inlove against virginia, the court called the anti-miscegenation laws a hateful attempt to preserve white supremacy. The belief that marriage is the union of a man and a woman is based on the understanding that women and men are made for each other and that children deserve both a mother and a father. On the other hand, the belief that interracial marriages should not take place is rooted in the indecent, dishonorable, and immoral notion of racism. It is intellectually dishonest and historically inaccurate to equate the two.
END NOTES:
- Brian J. Grim and Melissa E. Grim, "Religion's Socioeconomic Contribution to American Society: An Empirical Analysis"Interdisciplinary Journal of Religious Research., Vol. 12, art. 3 (2016), http://faithcounts.com/report/ (accessed March 19, 2018).
- John Corvino, Ryan T. Anderson y Sherif Girgis,Debate on religious freedom and discrimination(NY:Oxford University Press, 2017),p. 109.
- verZubik contra Burwell, 136 S. Ct. 1557 (2016);Burwell vs Hobby Lobby, 134 S.Ct. 2751 (2014).
- Short offriends of the courtCommission on Ethics and Religious Liberty of the Southern Baptist Convention; Commission on Christian Life of the Missouri Baptist Convention; Catholic University of João Paulo Magno; Oklahoma Wesleyan University; Spring Arbor University; William Jessup University; American Association of Christian Schools; Jews for Religious Freedom; and Imam Omar Ahmed Shahin in support of the petitioners,Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Supreme Court of the United States, Nr. 16-111, September 7, 2017, https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/supreme_court_preview/briefs-2017-2018/16-111-amicus-pet-ethics-religious-liberty- commission -of-the-southern-baptist-convention-etc.authcheckdam.pdf (accessed March 19, 2018).
- Short offriends of the courtCommission on Ethics and Religious Liberty of the Southern Baptist Convention; Commission on Christian Life of the Missouri Baptist Convention; Catholic University of João Paulo Magno; Oklahoma Wesleyan University; Spring Arbor University; William Jessup University; American Association of Christian Schools; Jews for Religious Freedom; and Imam Omar Ahmed Shahin in support of the petitioners,Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Supreme Court of the United States, Nr. 16-111, September 7, 2017, https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/supreme_court_preview/briefs-2017-2018/16-111-amicus-pet-ethics-religious-liberty- commission -of-the-southern-baptist-convention-etc.authcheckdam.pdf (accessed March 19, 2018).
- United States v. playboy entertainment group, inc.,592 US 803, 818 (2000).
- CompareObergefell contra Hodges, 135 S.Ct. 2584, 2602 (2015) (“Many of those who hold that same-sex marriage is wrong come to this conclusion on decent and honorable religious or philosophical premises, and neither they nor their beliefs are belittled here.”)I walked.at 2594 ("This view has long been held in good faith by reasonable and honest persons here and throughout the world, and continues to be held") withlove against virginia, 388 US 1, 11 (1967) (denouncing anti-miscegenation laws as "measures to maintain white supremacy").
FAQs
What do you know about freedom of religion? ›
The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment gives you the right to worship or not as you choose. The government can't penalize you because of your religious beliefs.
Why is religious freedom so important? ›The central place of religion in Americans' lives and the diversity of religions practiced is a testament to the value placed on religious freedom. The idea that people should be able to follow their conscience in how they worship has been part of the American identity since its beginning.
What are issues with religious freedom? ›It includes such things as social discrimination, economic disadvantage, and civil disabilities imposed on grounds of religion. Today it importantly includes coercive forms of psychological pressure, such as massive propaganda, brainwashing techniques, etc..
What are the limits to freedom of religion? ›Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
What is the value of religious freedom? ›Religious freedom protects people's right to live, speak, and act according to their beliefs peacefully and publicly. It protects their ability to be themselves at work, in class, and at social activities. Religious freedom is more than the “freedom to worship” at a synagogue, church, or mosque.
How can we protect religious freedom? ›- 5 Ways to Protect Religious Freedom. ...
- Allow Religious Leaders to Exercise Free Speech from the Pulpit. ...
- Prevent Discrimination Based on Beliefs. ...
- Protect Religious Freedom for Service Members and Veterans. ...
- Promote the Free Exercise of Religion in the Military.
Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
What are the two aspect of religious freedom? ›“The right to religious profession and worship has a two-fold aspect, vis., freedom to believe and freedom to act on one's belief.
What are the issues of religious freedom in USA? ›Controversies surrounding the freedom of religion in the US have included building places of worship, compulsory speech, prohibited counseling, compulsory consumerism, workplace, marriage and the family, the choosing of religious leaders, circumcision of male infants, dress, education, oaths, praying for sick people, ...
What does lack of religious freedom mean? ›It means people shouldn't have to go against their core values and beliefs in order to conform to culture or government. Religious freedom protects people's right to live, speak, and act according to their beliefs peacefully and publicly.
What do Christians believe about religious freedom? ›
The Christian logic of religious liberty is this: true liberty is the freedom to choose God, in this life and therefore in the next. But, notwithstanding his desire that we do so, God does not coerce us to choose him. Jesus did not coerce obedience or belief.
What does freedom of religion exclude? ›It established a separation of church and state that prohibited the federal government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” It also prohibits the government, in most cases, from interfering with a person's religious beliefs or practices.
What are the consequences of restricting religious freedom? ›Restricting religious freedom forces Americans out of jobs and blocks organizations from providing social services desperately needed by their communities. It also endangers other civil liberties, including free speech, free association, and even economic freedom.
Why is religion important? ›Key Takeaways
Religion ideally serves several functions. It gives meaning and purpose to life, reinforces social unity and stability, serves as an agent of social control, promotes psychological and physical well-being, and may motivate people to work for positive social change.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that “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 ...
What is freedom and why is it important? ›Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself their own laws", and with having rights and the civil liberties with which to exercise them without undue interference by the state.
What is the freedom of religion quizlet? ›1st Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting a establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." a. The gov't may not compel or punish religious beliefs and people are free to think and believe anything they want.
What are the 3 types of freedom? ›There are three types of freedom. The first kind of freedom is “freedom from,” a freedom from the constraints of society. Second, is “freedom to,” a freedom to do what we want to do. Thirdly, there is “freedom to be,” a freedom, not just to do what we want, but a freedom to be who we were meant to be.
What does freedom mean in the Bible? ›According to the Christian worldview, true freedom is not a matter of doing what you want without restraint, but cultivating the right wants and living in obedience to God's will. In other words, freedom results when our wants align with God's will.
What are the three most important freedoms? ›Recently freed from the despotic English monarchy, the American people wanted strong guarantees that the new government would not trample upon their newly won freedoms of speech, press and religion, nor upon their right to be free from warrantless searches and seizures.