Classroom Resources By Topic
First Amendment: Religion - Free Exercise Clause
Introduction
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . . ."
The Free Exercise Clause which gives us all the right to worship God, or not, as we choose. That means the government can’t punish you because of your religious beliefs, or because you don’t belong to a church, or believe in God.
Why did the Founding generation write protections for religious liberty into the First Amendment?
What is the Free Exercise Clause? What was the Founders’ vision for this provision of the First Amendment? And how has the Supreme Court interpreted it over time?
What are some of the most important areas of constitutional debate over religious liberty today?
Videos: Recorded Classes
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First Amendment: Religion |
First Amendment: Religion |
Constitution 101
Module 10: The First Amendment
Explore the Free Exercise Clause
Interactive Constitution
Writing Rights
The Justices’ faith and their Religion Clause decisions
After a recent television discussion of the religion decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in the just-ended term, a viewer wrote in asking why the news media kept referring to decisions by the “conservative majority” when they really were made by the “Catholic majority” on the court. Was the news media afraid to make the connection?
The Supreme Court’s Religion Conundrum
The U.S. Supreme Court’s late-night Friday order slapping down most of California’s pandemic restrictions on religious services continued a recent and strong trend among conservative justices, in particular, in favor of the Constitution’s free exercise of religion.
Big Questions
Classroom Materials
Explore First Amendment: Religion - Free Exercise Clause Questions
