Civil Rights - Freedom of Religion

In the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights guarantees individual freedoms. Specifically, the 1st Amendment guarantees the freedom of religion: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In other words, the government cannot officially establish or endorse one religion nationwide and cannot prevent individuals from practicing a certain religion independently, for example, by banning the construction of a new local church. Freedom of religion allows citizens to participate in the religious beliefs of their choosing.