Navigating a Religiously Diverse Society

The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, forced us to reconsider the balance between protecting public safety and protecting First Amendment freedoms – our cornerstone rights of religious liberty, free expression and political action. Twenty-two paired case studies explore how this debate has evolved from friction among Founding Fathers to cybersecurity standoffs.

Jurors take 9 minutes to convict high school biology teacher in the much-publicized legal case pitting science against religion.

Should Protestant New Yorkers be able to petition to delay citizenship and voting rights for Roman Catholic immigrants because of a perceived threat of foreign powers?

The Religious Freedom Center offers numerous free self-paced, interactive learning modules on the practical application of the First Amendment and religious studies in the classroom. Online classes include Religious Expression & Practice in Public Schools, The Establishment Clause & Public Schools, and Pedagogies of Religious Literacy.

In this book, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage and a committee of female academics and church figures analyze the treatment of women in the Bible.

Should officials be able to monitor religious groups without evidence of illegal activity?

Protesters gather to demonstrate their opposition to a planned mosque and Muslim community center near the site of the 9/11 attacks.

Can a county clerk refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples if it goes against her religious beliefs?

In this cartoon, Pope Pius IX and a boatload of bishops looking to "take charge" and ruin the United States get a foothold through Irish immigration.

9/11 unveiled extreme Muslim beliefs that challenged U.S. norms and laws. Yet from banning polygamy to legalizing same-sex marriage, the battle between private beliefs and public law rages on.