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
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...
InsightsFaith’s Quiet Advantage: New Research on Religion and Academic Outcomes
An important report from researchers at Harvard and Brigham Young University describes ways that religious practice contributes to educational achievement. Religious activity provides a wide range of skills, knowledge, and support that help students in their...
InsightsWhy Utah should strengthen conscience protections for health care workers
State and federal law provide some protections for the conscience and religious beliefs of medical professionals, though they have been enforced unevenly. The Utah Legislature is considering a bill this week that would provide more comprehensive protections. The...
InsightsThe love that lets us share a name
In an age of loneliness, declining trust, and institutional erosion, the family remains one of the last places where Americans are still formed in the habits of commitment. In a world that increasingly reduces everything to transaction or performance, faith insists...
InsightsWhat political hot takes miss about the Supreme Court
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...
LegalSutherland Institute files amicus brief in Mid Vermont Christian School v. Saunders
Sutherland Institute has filed an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in the case Mid Vermont Christian School v. Saunders. This case challenges a state law in Vermont that effectively excluded all private religious schools from a...
InsightsU.S. Supreme Court will hear case on home worship
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case brought by an Orthodox Jewish man, who claims city officials harassed him when he sought to hold a religious gathering in his home. Sutherland Institute joined a coalition on an amicus brief in the case. The Court...