Ashley Lemke | Contributing Writer

Being able to accept any religious belief and engage in religious rituals is one religious right afforded to us as United States citizens by the first amendment. Of course, the right to express your religious affiliation doesn’t come without backlash or consequences. Our global marketplace of ideas allows us to criticize the ideas of others just as they may criticize ours. The Free Exercise Clause is a piece of legislation that gives us the right to believe in and engage in religious rituals of our choice.
“The Free Exercise Clause has always been important. A lot of things divide us as human beings in terms of our faith. It’s such a personal thing; it matters,” explained Dr. William Feis, professor of History.

The Free Exercise Clause allows Americans to have the freedom to think for themselves as we explore the world around us. While attending college, we aim to learn about ourselves, explore the world around us, and challenge ourselves to become contributing members of society. Being free to engage or not engage in religious rituals is what the Free Exercise Clause is about. Having this freedom during this critical time in our lives is essential and frankly taken for granted.

“College is about being able to think, assess, and look at the world around you. Seeing the world through different lenses, such as religion, is one of those lenses. Having the freedom to think freely is what college is all about. Being able to look at the world beyond you is important; that’s the process of being an educated person. It’s more than just tolerance. It’s understanding and accepting even if it’s something you don’t care for. You’ll come away with a better understanding of why people do the things they do. Maybe the world becomes a little bit less scary,” Feis said.

The Free Exercise Clause goes hand in hand with our daily public discourse. Some people think the first amendment protects all types of religious choices. However, expressing your personal ideas aren’t consequence free.

“It’s important for college students not to feel unnecessarily constrained relative to the expression of their ideas, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be criticized for those ideas. Unfortunately people often do not deal well with others having differing opinions or not agreeing with their opinions; they experience disagreement as repression when it is anything but. Disagreement isn’t censorship,” Dr. Laura Bernhardt, associate professor of Philosophy and Religion, concluded.

The ability for us to express our ideas, engage in religious rituals, and take part in the religious beliefs of our choice are all part of the Free Exercise Clause. Although these rights are given to Americans, these provisions are not without possible repercussions. Many Americans are not educated about what it means to have freedom of religion under the first amendment.

“We live in a country where people take pride in the first amendment. However, a great many of our citizens don’t know what the freedoms it guarantees actually mean. They don’t know what to do with those freedoms. Being free to say or think whatever you please isn’t much good without some notion of truth. Of course you can have any opinion you like, but that opinion may still be wrong; opinions have value only insofar as they approach something like truth, or are the result of a good reasoning process. Truth matters.  We need access to accurate information in order to make good decisions. In a world in which people feel entitled to their own ‘truths’ it’s difficult to do anything at all,” Bernhardt said.

Being free to believe in the religion of our choice is of the utmost importance, especially at this time in history. Our country could look very different with limitations on religious liberties. Currently, there is no religious test for government officials and those who possess power within the United States. The first amendment protects our religious freedom and the Free Exercise Clause allows for diversity of leadership in this country no matter what their religion may be. These standards have been in place for over 200 years and aren’t likely to change in the coming years.

“I think we have a system that has worked for 240 years, so I don’t think that will change. Since then, we’ve seen an expansion of rights to those marginalized,” Feis said.

The Free Exercise Clause is and will always be an important component to our freedom of religion granted to us by the first amendment. It is crucial for the millennial generation to stay educated by reading, listening, watching, and participating in beneficial discussion about the first amendment.

Photos by Ashley Lemke

Graphic by Justice Gage