“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Have 16 words managed to be wildly interpreted in over the 200 years since America was founded? Have a vast majority of laws, mandates and other legal talks have had so much debate than this phrase?
How far does the First Amendment go in regards to Religious Freedom? Should there be Freedom of Religion or Freedom from Religion?
When laws cannot be settled in state or district courts, they go to the highest law of the land: The Supreme Court. There, Nine Justices appointed to lifelong terms weigh in on matters that could affect the whole country. There have been many hotly debated cases over the years:
- Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores: Does a Christian Employer have to cover contraceptives they don't believe in?
- Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission: Can a Private for-profit company turn away customers considered a protected class due to religious reasons?
- Kennedy v. Bremerton School District: Can a football coach pray on the 50 Yard Line and is a school responsible for it?
- Yeshiva University v. YU Pride Alliance: Can a religious university deny a LGBTQ club due to religious reasons?
These are questions for the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court gives an opinion to each of these legal questions.
