Bill of Rights – Freedom of Religion

The Bill of Rights protects individual liberties, natural rights and it limits the powers of the Federal Government, a very important Right listed in Amendment One of the Bill Of Rights is Freedom of Religion. The Constitution of the United States is split into seven parts, and one of those parts contains the Bill of Rights. There are 27 amendments in the U.S Constitution, but only the first ten are known as the Bill of Rights because they were the original Amendments on the constitution when it was ratified. Within the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, the protection of America's natural rights is outlined in the First Amendment, this incorporates the right for all citizens to practice their religion free from judgement, shame, discrimination and harassment.

 

The United states is a country built upon the foundation of freedom. The freedom of religion is important because it is a right stated in the U.S constitution. If there was no freedom of religion the citizens of America would be forced into a religion they do not believe in. Philosopher John Locke in his ideals of the right to Life, Liberty, and Property, this one pertaining to liberty, freedom of religion is a natural right. If the government was able to control our religious beliefs then they would not be filling their part of the social contract because they would be violating citizens of the United States natural rights.

 

 In the court case Braunfeld v Brown (1961) The Supreme Court ruled in favor of braunfeld stating they had not protected his right to practice what he believed.

 

The right to freedom of religion is an important right that has been brought up by the supreme court various times. An example of one of these cases is the Braunfeld vs. Brown (1961) case. Braunfeld vs. Brown  was brought to the Supreme court because Abraham Braunfeld owned a clothing and home furnishing store in Philadelphia. As an Orthodox Jew, he was prohibited by his faith from working on the Sabbath, Saturday. The Pennsylvania blue law only allowed certain stores to remain open for business on Sundays. Braunfeld's store was not one of those types allowed to be open. He challenged the law as a violation of the religious liberty clauses because he needed to be open six days a week for financial reasons and was prohibited from doing so by a tenet of his faith and the blue law.

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