Policy
Religious Freedom
Respecting human dignity requires that we respect the core elements of how people and groups identify themselves, including their religious beliefs. Religious belief has been a powerful motivation for protecting the rights and liberties of others; it kindled movements to abolish slavery and protect Americans’ civil rights. For millions of Americans, religion is the source of the values required in a free society, such as understanding, respect and sacrifice for others. Additionally, religious institutions provide irreplaceable care for the most vulnerable people in society.
For all of these reasons, the right to exercise religion is a fundamental human right. The law should respect the independence of religious institutions, defend the right of conscience, and protect the right of individuals to act on their religious beliefs, while establishing reasonable protections for public health and safety in a spirit of fairness for all.
Religious Freedom
Respecting human dignity requires that we respect the core elements of how people and groups identify themselves, including their religious beliefs. Religious belief has been a powerful motivation for protecting the rights and liberties of others; it kindled movements to abolish slavery and protect Americans’ civil rights. For millions of Americans, religion is the source of the values required in a free society, such as understanding, respect and sacrifice for others. Additionally, religious institutions provide irreplaceable care for the most vulnerable people in society.
For all of these reasons, the right to exercise religion is a fundamental human right. The law should respect the independence of religious institutions, defend the right of conscience, and protect the right of individuals to act on their religious beliefs, while establishing reasonable protections for public health and safety in a spirit of fairness for all.
Published Research
Conversations
Religious freedom and conscience in higher education
Religious freedom, courts, and federalism in Utah | Bill Duncan
The benefit of religious contributions to society
How facts help provide a more positive perception of religion
How to persuade religious skeptics without preaching
Advice to the younger generation on the benefits of religion
Is religion good for society?
The facts about religion in America
What the data reveals about America’s religious drift
Religious freedom and conscience in higher education
Religious freedom, courts, and federalism in Utah | Bill Duncan
The benefit of religious contributions to society
Insights & Takeaways
InsightsWhen city rules chill home worship, courts should step in
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to hear a case brought by an Orthodox Jewish man who was harassed by the city when he sought to hold a religious gathering in his home. Disputes over property use are common scenarios for religious freedom issues to arise. The...
CommentaryPrayer, Pluralism, and Public Schools
Originally published by Public Square Magazine. Education policy observers are carefully watching a renewed debate about religion in public schools. With new federal guidance on school prayer and state laws about religious symbols or texts in schools popping up,...
CommentaryGeographic mobility: Its promises and discontents
Originally published in American Habits. Americans are a remarkably mobile collection of people. You might argue it’s in our DNA. By the time of our nation’s founding, the Western Hemisphere had already been swarmed by restless settlers who left their more...
InsightsFair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act: Protecting religious freedom at the national level
State legislatures and Congress have an essential role in protecting religious liberty by clarifying religious freedom protections to avoid costly litigation. The recently introduced Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act by Rep. Blake Moore would do this at...
InsightsDoes the most religious state need religious freedom protections?
Utah is a very religious state, but it also provides robust protections of religious freedom. In the 2026 Utah legislative session, three new religious freedom bills were approved, providing protections in the contexts of public college assignments, history...
ReportReligious Giving: The Social Benefits of Religion, Volume 6
Religious belief and practice have historically played a central role in shaping the development of philanthropy, charitable institutions, and a broader culture of giving in the United States and internationally. Empirical research consistently shows that people...
InsightsWhen city rules chill home worship, courts should step in
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to hear a case brought by an Orthodox Jewish man who was harassed by the city when he sought to hold a religious gathering in his home. Disputes over property use are common scenarios for religious freedom issues to arise. The...
CommentaryPrayer, Pluralism, and Public Schools
Originally published by Public Square Magazine. Education policy observers are carefully watching a renewed debate about religion in public schools. With new federal guidance on school prayer and state laws about religious symbols or texts in schools popping up,...
CommentaryGeographic mobility: Its promises and discontents
Originally published in American Habits. Americans are a remarkably mobile collection of people. You might argue it’s in our DNA. By the time of our nation’s founding, the Western Hemisphere had already been swarmed by restless settlers who left their more...