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
ReportReligious Contributions to Progress in Human Rights: Social Benefits of Religion, Volume 2
Utah voters hold complex views about AI that recognize its benefits to science, health, and the economy, while expressing concerns about its impact in spheres of public authority and child development. Voters prioritize the responsibility of parents, tech...
InsightsWhy the stalled contraceptive bill does not mean access is threatened
Candidates in Utah primary elections have recently discussed an unlikely topic: access to contraception. This arises from a stalled U.S. Senate bill with an announced intention to protect access to contraception. The bill, however, would also override existing...
InsightsRuling on teacher’s firing shows how clear laws could help keep religious entities out of court
The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that the U.S. Constitution protects a religious organization’s choice of employees who will represent them in promulgating their teachings. This is referred to as the ministerial exception. A recent decision of the U.S. Court...
TakeawaysDo religious individuals benefit the greater community?
Sutherland’s recent publication, What Good Does Religion Do?, by Bill Duncan, takes a deeper look into years of research and data on charitable giving and community care by religious groups and individuals. In the publication, Duncan aims to defend religious...
InsightsReligious freedom requires access to abortion? Maybe not
Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to regulate abortion in 2021, states that have chosen to limit the commission of abortion have been faced with lawsuits arguing that state laws or constitutions require those states to allow abortions. One of the more...
CommentaryWhy religion is good for society
Originally published in Deseret News. The role of faith in public life is often hotly contested, especially considering the discouraging number of people who view religion as having a negative, rather than positive, impact on society. But new research from...
InsightsCharlie Kirk’s advocacy for the Sabbath is exactly what we need today
More Americans are embracing Sabbath practices, from filmmaker Tiffany Shlain’s weekly “Tech Shabbat” to the late Charlie Kirk’s observance, as a way to unplug from screens and reconnect with what matters most. Neuroscience confirms that unplugging for 24 hours...
InsightsPreviewing new Religious Freedom Cases at SCOTUS
The U.S. Supreme Court will be deciding two religious freedom cases this coming term which will clarify how people of faith and religious institutions can seek court assistance when their rights are violated. These cases involve clear violations of religious...
InsightsA father’s love carved in fire
Gil Ta’asa, an Israeli firefighter and father, gave his life shielding his sons from a grenade during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. His sacrifice embodies the Jewish covenantal view of fatherhood: love as responsibility, devotion, and moral courage. In a...