The First Amendment says Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. It may, however, which of the following?

The First Amendment says Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. It may, however, which of the following?

• A. Make laws that impose a special burden on religion.
• B. Bind religions to laws that bind all others.
• C. Insist that church and state remain separate.
• D. Make laws respecting the establishment of a religion.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that the government can enforce neutral, generally applicable laws on everyone, including religious groups, without violating the free exercise right. The First Amendment protects individuals from having their religious practice prohibited, but it doesn’t grant religious groups special exemptions from general laws. So it may require religious organizations to follow the same laws that bind everyone else. That makes the option about binding religions to laws that apply to all others the best fit. Imposing a special burden on religion would treat religious exercise unfairly, which the First Amendment aims to prevent; laws about establishing religion are addressed by the Establishment Clause, and the idea of church-state separation is a broader constitutional principle rather than a specific permissible action under the Free Exercise Clause.

The key idea is that the government can enforce neutral, generally applicable laws on everyone, including religious groups, without violating the free exercise right. The First Amendment protects individuals from having their religious practice prohibited, but it doesn’t grant religious groups special exemptions from general laws. So it may require religious organizations to follow the same laws that bind everyone else. That makes the option about binding religions to laws that apply to all others the best fit. Imposing a special burden on religion would treat religious exercise unfairly, which the First Amendment aims to prevent; laws about establishing religion are addressed by the Establishment Clause, and the idea of church-state separation is a broader constitutional principle rather than a specific permissible action under the Free Exercise Clause.