Religious freedom has long been an important value in American society. Its significance can be seen in the fact that the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights begins: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” These clauses at first applied only to Congress and federal laws, but in the 1940s the Supreme Court ruled that they also applied to state and local laws.
The practical application of the First Amendment’s clauses on religious freedom has been the source of much debate. In recent years, Congress and...
Source: Religion In America, ©2002 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 340 words.)
Want to read the whole thing?
Subscribe now to read the rest of this article. Plus, get access to:
- 30,000+ literature study guides
- Critical essays on more than 30,000 works of literature from Salem on Literature (exclusive to eNotes)
- An unparalleled literary criticism section. 40,000 full-length or excerpted essays.
- Content from leading academic publishers, all easily citable with our "Cite this page" button.
- 100% satisfaction guarantee READ MORE
