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
TakeawaysAmerica’s arduous road to religious freedom
An upcoming documentary, Free Exercise: America’s Story of Religious Liberty, details the struggles that the religious endured in America’s infancy. Many religious people faced state-sanctioned murder and banishment. America’s viewpoint on religion has become more...
Insights9th Circuit upholds religious universities’ Title IX exemptions
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit recently rejected an attempt to remove religious freedom protections in Title IX. The court found that exemptions for religious colleges and universities were consistent with the original understanding of the First...
Insights‘So unimaginable and so abhorrent’: UCLA case is a reminder of how bigotry resurfaces
A recent federal court decision addressed whether a California university could allow some students to be excluded from parts of campus by protesters simply because the students were Jewish. The court ordered the school to ensure access to all parts of campus...
InsightsNew Utah poll shows broad support for ‘core freedoms’ of religion
A recent survey of likely Utah voters found very strong support for the proposition that religious freedom is a net benefit for society, even among those who are not religious. Majorities also believe religious organizations have a net positive benefit for society....
CommentaryWhy the reasoning behind Utah Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion is so alarming
Originally published in Deseret News. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the U.S. Constitution could not be read to create a right to abortion. Since then, lawsuits in state courts have argued that even though the U.S. Constitution does not create a right to...
InsightsNew Sutherland survey reflects optimism about religious freedom in Utah
A recent survey of likely Utah voters found very strong support for the proposition that religious freedom is a net benefit for society, even among those who are not religious. Voters generally think religious freedom is adequately protected, but a significant...
ReportHow Religious Schools Strengthen Our Republic: Religion and the American Experiment, Volume 1
In an age of accelerating polarization, institutional decline, and civic exhaustion, we are overdue for a reconsideration of what actually builds democratic resilience. While policy circles often turn to structural reforms or technological fixes, the deeper...
InsightsWhat’s at stake in the Supreme Court’s therapy speech case
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a challenge to a Colorado law requiring therapists to affirm the sexual orientation and gender identity of minor clients. A number of justices expressed concern that the law constitutes unconstitutional...
InsightsWhat rising violence reveals about freedom and faith
In just over a month, people of faith and religious sanctuaries have been attacked in high-profile acts of violence and destruction. These are part of increased religiously directed attacks in the United States in recent years. These tragic attacks raise serious...