Religious liberty

Religious liberty is the right to believe, worship and live according to one's faith, and to be free from government coercion in religious matters. In American law it is protected principally by the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause, by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and similar state laws, and by statutes such as Title VII, which requires employers to accommodate religious practice.

The idea has deep roots in American history, including Virginia's Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and passed in 1786. Questions currently debated include religious exemptions from generally applicable laws, such as for wedding vendors who object to same-sex weddings, religious employers' obligations under health mandates, the rights of faith-based schools and charities, and whether employees may refuse certain tasks or vaccine requirements.

Conservatives and many religious groups argue that religious liberty is under pressure from anti-discrimination laws and government mandates, and have won a series of Supreme Court cases. Critics argue that expansive exemptions allow discrimination or harm third parties and that equal treatment under the law should come first. There is also debate about the rights of minority faiths, which have often relied on the same protections. See also conscience clause.