Religious Freedom And Freedom Of Speech - 1186 Words

Religious freedom and freedom of speech have been enshrined in American law since the late 18th century. Both are found in the First Amendment to the US Constitution and have been at the center of some of the most important Supreme Court cases in history. From Texas v. Johnson to Lemon v. Kurtzmann, religious freedom and freedom of speech have shaped discourse more so than any other fundamental rights in America. Yet now more so than ever, the issue of religious belief versus freedom of speech has permeated American society. This can most clearly be seen in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a highly controversial legal case making its way through the Supreme Court. Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado began in†¦show more content†¦The determination of the commission was upheld by the Colorado Supreme Court and Phillips appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case in June 2017 (Howe). The court will hear oral arguments in December 2017 (â€Å"Calendar of Events†). The fundamental question at this point is whether or not businesses can refuse to provide goods and/or services to homosexual couples. On one side of the issue, one can find those who believe that businesses must be required by law to provide goods and services to LGBT people upon request. According to this paradigm, a bakery must provide a wedding cake to an interracial couple regardless of how much that business opposes interracial marriage. A fundamental part of this point of view is the argument from Civil Rights. In short, these laws that require businesses to serve all â€Å"ensure that people previously subject to discrimination can go about their day to day life, without worrying whether they will be turned away from a store because of who they are (ACLU Staff).† Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal for businesses to refuse service to any individual on the basis of â€Å"race, color, religion, sex or nat ional origin (History.com Staff).† In the case of Masterpiece v. Colorado, Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act bars public accommodations from denying service to individuals based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, and more (One Colorado). InShow MoreRelatedFree Speech And Religious Freedom1470 Words   |  6 Pagestheir point across. At the start of 2016, authorities â€Å"increased restrictions on civil society groups critical of the government†, so they used â€Å"overboard sedition, criminal defamation and hate speech laws to harass minorities’ views† (Human Rights Watch : India Today). Free Speech and Religious Freedom is important to Hindu Minorities and the government should have no objection towards the sacrifice and fighting spirit these people have to get their point across, so going against their act of civilRead MoreThe Amendment Of The Bill Of Right : Freedom Of Religion And Freedom1460 Words   |  6 Pages Civil liberties are individual freedoms which are protected from the government by the Bill of Rights. There were historical backgrounds to guarantee the freedom. Although they are ruled in the Constitution, it is not easy to protect the diversity and individual freedom in the society, and not all conflicts have been settled today. Yet, people are in a process to improve democratic society which is not a finished product, and freedom in all its forms improves itself over time. I am going to explainRead MoreThe Framers Intent Paper911 Words   |  4 Pagesthat affect everyone on a daily basis. The first amendment involves freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and the press. The original intent of for freedom of speech, along with current views, events, opinions, an evaluation of the affects of Supreme Court decisions, and considerations for the future of this clause will be discussed. Original intent of freedom of speech The original intent of the clause of freedom of speech is difficult to point-out. There were several framers of the UnitedRead MoreThe Amendment And Freedom Of Speech1545 Words   |  7 Pages The 1st amendment was made to guarantee freedoms in the field of expression assembly, religion, and ones rights to petition. It prohibits congress men from promoting ones religious practices and also supporting ones faith over another. It also forbids the congress men from disturbing and obscuring the freedom of the press to express itself and also the freedom of speech per individual. It also assures the right of each civilian to petition the regime to redress accusations and gather peacefullyRead MoreDeath Of A Social Work1648 Words   |  7 PagesThe First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly and the right to petition. In the case of religion and expression, there is a case that highlights both. In 2001, Emily Brooker attended Missouri State University in pursuit of a Social Work degree. In the fall of 2005, Emily was a senior and was faced with making the pressing decision to complete an assignment or fight for her First Amendment rights. She ultimately chose to fight with the help of prominent attorneysRead MoreThe Preamble Of The United States Constitution903 Words   |  4 Pagesbetter understand our United States Constitution. When the Framers coin the phrase, â€Å"secure the blessings of liberty†, it means that citizens of the United States of America have freedoms that cannot be taken away by anyone and it limits the power of the United States government to ensure us â€Å"We the People†, of these freedoms. This phrase goes along with what is stated in our Declaration of Independence that, all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienableRead MorePersecution and Protection of Religious Beliefs Around the World814 Words   |  4 Pageshuman rights has recog nized the right of manifestation of the religion , still there are religious conflicts around the world. There still happen revolutions with religious bases. People are still deprived of the right of applying their religion, while some other are being killed because of their religion views. These happenings can trigger the idea that there should be a special provision in protection of religious liberties. It seems to me that there is not any specialty in religion that should beRead MoreThe Battle Of The Confederate Flag1321 Words   |  6 Pagesincredibly difficult and unjust to promote a system to which state authority prevents speech that they find offensive. It is nearly impossible and impractical for a state entity to understand what can and can’t be considered offensive, and what is offensive to some and not to others. That is why the harm principle is a great principle to understand the limits of how far free speech should and can go. Free speech should be protected an d promoted so long as it does not create credible harm to anotherRead MoreThe Right Of Free Speech And Freedom Of Press1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe right many Americans take for granted every day is the ability to speak to one another and to express their opinions through verbal and non-verbal means of communication. The First Amendment provides the right of free speech and freedom of press to the people. The Bill of Rights, also known as the first 10 amendments to the Constitution went into effect on Dec. 15, 1791, when the state of Virginia ratified it, giving the bill the majority of ratifying states required to protect citizens fromRead More Youth and the First Amendment Essay example1162 Words   |  5 Pagesthe First Amendment Many freedom of speech and expression issues that receive media attention have to do with the adult population and what they feel their rights are. What many fail to recognize is the fact that the youth today are also dealing with freedom of speech and expression issues in their own lives. The freedom of speech and expression issues that young people deal with are just as important and are handled in the same manner as any other freedom of speech issue. Three articles from