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The last state, Virginia, adopted the Bill of Rights and it became part of the Constitution. The 1st amendment includes the right to freedom of religion. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free practice thereof."
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Paul VI addressed the Church with a document expanding on its belief of religious freedom. This document was not new in content but much needed to clarify the Church's teaching.
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State law requiring the Ten Commandments in Classrooms was struck down because it was said it violated the establishment clause
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This bill states that that the state cannot "substantially burden a person's exercise of religion" unless it is furthering a "compelling government interest" and acting in the least restrictive way possible. In other words, no one can stop the state's goals but the state needs to cause the least discomfort possible to anyone who may disagree with them on moral grounds.
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Congress passed the affordable Care Act, which requires group health plans and insurance to provide preventative care and screenings for women according to HHS guidelines. HHS includes in this “approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.”
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The Little Sisters of the Poor, a Roman Catholic religious community, were told that that they would need to either include coverage for birth control and sterilizations in their employee medical plan or sign over permission to someone else to provide them. Due to the Catholic Church's very specific teachings against these practices, the sisters refused. Their case is now pending in the Supreme Court. The question is whether or not the ACA violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
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