In a public appearance in Wisconsin last week, Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke about the various freedoms Americans cherish, among them “freedom of worship”—a phrase used by Presidents Biden and Obama as well. This is certainly an important right, but, as Timothy Carney observes, the First Amendment guarantee of the “free exercise of religion” refers to something much broader:
How and what we eat is part of our exercise of religion. Christians and Jews are obligated to love our neighbors, and so that is an exercise of our religion. We are obligated to honor our father and mother. Crucially, we exercise our religion by living our daily lives in accordance with the moral teachings of our faith, and so the government infringes on the free exercise of religion if it compels a person to violate his conscience.
Forcing a Quaker to take up arms violates the free exercise of religion. Forcing an observant Jew to work on Saturday violates the free exercise of religion.
Especially for Jews, whose religious practices span many spheres of life not usually considered by Christians, this distinction is critical.
Read more on Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2816481/freedom-of-worship-doesnt-cut-it-madam-vice-president/