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Freedom of Religion in the USFreedom of religion—the right to practice, or not practice, faith without government interference—is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." These two clauses, known as the establishment clause and the free exercise clause, work together to prevent the government from both endorsing religion and interfering with its practice. The principle has deeper roots than the Constitution itself. Some of the original European settlers in America left Europe to escape religious persecution, only to establish repressive religious governments in the Colonies. Roger Williams founded Rhode Island in 1636 as the first government in the Western world to guarantee full religious liberty, and Thomas Jefferson's 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom served as the direct influence for the First Amendment's religion clauses. Since ratification, courts have consistently debated where the line is—between accommodating religious beliefs and enforcing the law. These disputes include prayer in public schools and religious symbols on public land, and whether religious objections can exempt individuals and businesses from laws that apply to everyone else. These issues remain some of the most contentious in American law today.Explore Freedom of Religion in the US
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The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 restricted the government's ability to limit religious practiceCongress enacted RFRA in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Employment Division v. Smith. The law requires the government to use the least restrictive means before substantially burdening an individual's religious exercise. Read the language in the Constitution that protects religious freedom in the USThe First Amendment's religion clauses include two provisions: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. These two parts prevent the government from endorsing any specific religion and from interfering with the free practice of religion. Library of CongressThomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786, which directly influenced the US ConstitutionDrafted by Jefferson, the statute guaranteed freedom of worship to people of all faiths. Jefferson considered it one of his greatest achievements, and it served as the direct model for the First Amendment's religion clauses. Thomas Jefferson's MonticelloRoosevelt formally recognized the Soviet Union in 1933In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally recognized the Soviet Union—ending 16 years of nonrecognition and aiming to improve trade and stabilize relations amid growing global instability. US State DepartmentPierce v. Society of Sisters limited state power over how parents educate their childrenIn striking down Oregon’s attempt to ban private schools, the Supreme Court held that forcing children into public education violated substantive due process, affirming that parents—not the state—have a fundamental right to direct their children’s upbringing and education. National Constitution CenteThe US framework of government has influenced the constitutions of many other countriesIn 1787, the US Constitution introduced a system built on the separation of powers and individual liberties, including freedom of speech and religion. Though widely influential, its rigidity has made it less of a modern model as countries adopt more adaptable constitutional frameworks. 1440
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