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 liberty is essential to our freedoms
Religious institutions are essential to freedom
Government needs to stay in its lane
It's a bad idea for government to violate religious liberty
Religious liberty is good for everyone – not just religious people
Religion doesn't need a permission slip from the government
Religious freedom and conscience in higher education
Religious freedom, courts, and federalism in Utah | Bill Duncan
The benefit of religious contributions to society
Religious liberty is essential to our freedoms
Religious institutions are essential to freedom
Government needs to stay in its lane
Insights & Takeaways
InsightsHB 390 would protect religious student groups in higher ed
A new Utah bill would protect religious, political and ideological student groups from university discrimination. The bill would prevent universities from discriminating against religious groups for having leadership requirements based on their religious values....
InsightsWhy the Ninth Circuit unanimously tossed the Huntsman tithing lawsuit
An 11-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals recently unanimously dismissed a lawsuit by a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who disagreed with the way he felt the church had used his contributions. Six of the judges concluded that...
InsightsNinth Circuit slaps down California’s denial of special ed funds for religious schools
A case recently decided by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the government can’t withhold educational assistance to disabled children solely because the child is receiving a religious education. Following Supreme Court precedent, the court held...
InsightsReligion can help take the venom out of political disagreement
As we come to the end of a contentious election season, many wonder what could lead to less division, and some research suggests that religious faith may be a part of tempering partisanship. Recent research, consistent with other studies, suggests that although...
InsightsAs election season winds down, the U.S. Supreme Court term has just begun
The U.S. Supreme Court has not yet agreed to take any cases on religious freedom for this term though there are some petitions still being considered. Three petitions raise important issues: whether parents should be allowed to opt their children out of curriculum...
TakeawaysHow religious communities are leading the hurricane relief effort
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has extended humanitarian aid to the region. Some community churches have raised money and provided supplies for the families impacted by the storm. Nearly 75% of disaster-relief organizations are religious in origin....
InsightsThe fragile joy of Sukkot and the renewal of Simchat Torah
The sukkah’s impermanence teaches that true security lies not in material walls but in moral ones: trust, community, and faith. Simchat Torah models democratic renewal, showing that strength comes from returning to foundational truths and beginning again. These...
ReportHow Religion Strengthens Family Life in a Fragmented Age: Religion and the American Experiment, Volume 3
A merican families are in peril. Since the end of the Cold War, divorce rates have elevated, marriage rates have plummeted, and multigenerational households have become rarities – though recent evidence offers hope that these trends may be changing for the better....
ReportHow Faith Communities Promote Societal Well-Being and Public Health: Religion and the American Experiment, Volume 2
America is in the midst of a profound health crisis that extends far beyond hospitals, prescriptions, and insurance systems. Rates of chronic disease remain stubbornly high, but the deeper emergency is more than physical. It is emotional, social, and spiritual. We...