Does the Free Exercise Clause apply to other branches of the federal government besides Congress?
Yes, the Establishment Clause restricts the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Q: What about state and local governments? They, too, are subject to the restriction against laws respecting an establishment of religion. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which provides that no person may be deprived of “life liberty or property without due process of law,” has been interpreted as applying the religion clauses to state and local governments. Q: Is the right to practice one’s religion absolute? No. While the right to hold religious beliefs is absolute, the right to act on those beliefs is not. The Supreme Court has recognized that the right to practice one’s religion must yield to the interests of society in some circumstances. A parent’s right to refuse medical treatment for a sick child, for example, may be subordinate to the state’s interest in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its minor children. Similarly, polygamy and child labor
