Religious liberty law protects religious freedom. This fundamental right is guaranteed by the state, and it means that religious belief shall not lead to unequal or discriminatory treatment. Additionally, religious beliefs are not grounds for denying a person a job or public position. It also ensures that a person may freely practice and express his or her religion without fear of repercussions.
No Cost Exercise
The First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause gives constitutional protection to religiously motivated behavior and beliefs. It protects freedom to act and belief, but has limited application. The First Free Exercise Case, which dealt with the government’s power to ban polygamy, was a case in which the Court made a clear distinction between belief and behavior.
The Court has however also commented on the Free Exercise Clause’s contribution to religious liberty law. According to the Court, it is the responsibility of federal courts to resolve disputes between the First Clause and the Free Exercise Clause.
An individual case-by-case method to remove religious burdens
The Case-by–Case approach is focused on identifying the burden of a particular statute on religious freedom, analysing its effect on the religious community and determining whether it is substantial. A statute's burden on religion is considered substantial if it substantially limits the adherent's religious practice.
According to case law, Title VII's definitions of religion include all aspects of religious belief, practice, and observation. Employers cannot deny employment to employees who are religious. They must also accommodate their practices. If an employer is unable to accommodate the religious practice or belief, it must show an undue burden on the conduct of business.
Protections for religious observance or practice
Federal law is able to protect religious freedom as it is one the fundamental principles that make up our nation. The First Amendment, which protects freedom speech and the press, along with the rights of the people to meet and petition the government for grievance redress, is particularly important. Combining these protections with the First Amendment allows religious freedom to thrive while protecting government from undue influence.
As America becomes more diverse, it is essential that religious freedom protections are extended to accommodate this diversity. Trump's mishandling religion freedom has had catastrophic effects on religious institutions in the United States and places of worship. Furthermore, it threatens to weaken nondiscrimination protections for many groups, including members of the LGBT community. Protecting religious freedom must be a priority for everyone, not just for specific religious communities.
Federal workplace: Application of the religious liberty laws
The federal government is responsible in ensuring respect for religious practices and observances within the workplace. Title VII requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for religious practices. This law applies to all religious holidays and head coverings. Employers are required by law to accommodate employees' religious beliefs.
In grant-making, and in selection for federal posts, the government should not make discriminatory statements about religious organizations. Furthermore, the government should never require religious organizations that they surrender their Section 702 exemption or other religious protections. This is in order to allow them to participate in the government's program. A further recommendation is to not second-guess factory workers' religious beliefs.