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.
Published Research
Conversations
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It's a bad idea for government to violate religious liberty
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Religious liberty is good for everyone – not just religious people
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Religion doesn't need a permission slip from the government
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Religious freedom and conscience in higher education
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Religious freedom, courts, and federalism in Utah | Bill Duncan
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The benefit of religious contributions to society
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How facts help provide a more positive perception of religion
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How to persuade religious skeptics without preaching
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Advice to the younger generation on the benefits of religion
Insights & Takeaways
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Administration hits pause on gender-identity health rule
Read More: Administration hits pause on gender-identity health ruleLaws can create moral quandaries for providers who are people of faith and for faith-based organizations that provide medical care.
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Justices find unanimity in new religious freedom ruling
Read More: Justices find unanimity in new religious freedom rulingSupreme Court is united in ruling this week against city of Boston over refusal to allow flag.
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Government shouldn’t decide which churches ‘deserve’ a tax exemption
Read More: Government shouldn’t decide which churches ‘deserve’ a tax exemptionWhile avoiding entanglement between church and state is probably the key legal reason for tax exemptions for churches, that policy also advances some important public (and secular) interests.
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Coach’s Supreme Court case highlights clash of First Amendment clauses
Read More: Coach’s Supreme Court case highlights clash of First Amendment clausesA religious freedom case that was argued this week before the Supreme Court is particularly important because it involves conflicting claims, each based on a different part of the First…
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Legislature reflects and respects Utah’s increasing diversity
Read More: Legislature reflects and respects Utah’s increasing diversitySupport was broad and bipartisan for bills including condemnation of antisemitism, improved health care support for racial and ethnic communities, and recognition of Juneteenth as a state holiday.
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Take joy in the freedom to worship (or not) that we have in the U.S.
Read More: Take joy in the freedom to worship (or not) that we have in the U.S.Easter, Ramadan and Passover all fall in the month of April this year – a good time to remember those who live in conditions where expressions of belief are aggressively…
