religious liberty
Worship without persecution
Religious liberty is the right to practice one's faith—or no faith—without government interference.
The term appears frequently in American political discourse, where it can mean protection from state-imposed religion or, more recently, exemption from laws that conflict with religious beliefs: The baker claimed religious liberty in refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
Critics argue the latter use stretches the concept to justify discrimination.
- First AmendmentConstitutional free expression guarantee
- free exerciseRight to practice faith
- freedom of religionRight to practice any faith
- wall of separationBarrier dividing distinct domains
- individual autonomyPower over own choices
minority rights · pluralism · separation of church and state · conscientious objection · tolerance · disestablishment · prayer in schools · interfaith dialogue · indigenous rights · civil liberties · human dignity · human rights law · moral agency · international treaties · belief · protection · congregation · house of worship
- American ChristianityBaptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians
- church-statechurch-state, separation, church-state separation, establishment clause, state religion
- traditionalismfamily values, traditional marriage, nuclear family, morality, patriotism
- Baptist beliefsseparation of church and state, biblical authority, adult baptism, local church, Lord's Supper
- Catholic Politicscommon good, subsidiarity, just war, pro-life movement, Catholic voters
- Jefferson EraThomas Jefferson, Democratic-Republicans, Louisiana Purchase, Monticello, Lewis and Clark
religious libertyreligious persecution
Harming others for faith
forced conversion · inquisition · religious intolerance · blasphemy laws · thought control
religious libertystate religion
Government-backed official faith
religious persecution · theocracy · forced conversion · established church · religious nationalism