Does the Government Have the Right to Regulate Religion?

This question should theoretically never have to be asked, given the fact that the First Amendment guarantees the right of every American to worship as he or she pleases and prohibits governmental interference in that right. Unfortunately, some recent events have severely challenged that Amendment to the point where all our Constitutional rights have come under attack. It’s a sad state of affairs when the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court is told to leave that office for refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse building.

In Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution it states that no “religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” It simply means that no one in public office can be required to be of a particular religious denomination. An atheist in California sued the government, because he wanted the words “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. He ultimately lost, but just the idea that this issue would even come up says a lot about the times in which we are living.

According to the words in the First Amendment of our Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The words and their intended meaning are clear. The government cannot prohibit anyone from exercising their faith. Therefore, the U.S. Government has no right to regulate religion.