Religious Freedom

Religious liberty is enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, but several high-profile legal cases recently have tested the limits of that freedom, deeply dividing the nation. The Supreme Court's 2015 decision granting same-sex couples the right to marry has led some Christians to refuse to serve gay couples. And the inclusion of a contraception benefit for women in the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, has prompted some Christians to challenge the contraception mandate in court. They say their religious faith will not allow them to support or participate in marriages or birth control they believe violate God's will. But their critics say that by citing their religious faith as a reason to refuse to serve people or recognize their legal rights, they are imposing their religious views on others in violation of the Constitution. Meanwhile, other court battles over religious liberty have involved the right of members of minority religions in the United States, particularly Muslims, to practice their faith.