Links Related to Freedom of ReligionThe principle of freedom of religion supports the freedom of individuals to practice any religion or belief with any form of practice, worship and observation that belief takes.  The concept is also generally thought to include the freedom of individuals to change religion or to not follow any religion.  The ability to leave or stop religious observations in a religious group is another fundamental aspect of religious freedom.

Freedom of religion is considered by many people and governments to be a fundamental human right.  It is an essential aspect of the Declaration of Human Rights, one of the founding documents of the United States of America.  And yet, freedom of religion is not a right which is clearly provided, even in countries such as the U.S.A.  Although freedom of religion is a fundamental aspect of many governments, the reality in those countries is often more complicated, and one often finds religious persecution and the infliction of religious ideals on secular laws in these places. The links below provide a wealth of information on freedom of religion and issues pertaining to this right, both in the U.S.A and all over the world.  We hope this is a resource that you will find helpful, and we encourage you to send along any other links which you feel provide useful information on this topic.

First Amendment Rights and Religious Tolerance in the USA

American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.aclu.org/

American Communication Association
http://www.americancomm.org/

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
http://www.au.org/

The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center
http://www.freedomforum.org/

A Short List of Books on Law and Religion in the USA
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/rel/rfreebib.htm

U.S. Library of Congress – Religion and the Founding of the American Republic
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/religion.html

Yahoo! Links on Church and State Issues
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Church_State_Issues/

International Religious Freedom

Annual report on religious freedom around the world from the perspective of the U. S. Department of State.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/

Religiously Sponsored Religious Freedom Organizations
ADL Religious Freedom Page
http://www.adl.org/main_religious_freedom.asp
[Sponsored by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League.]

Christian Legal Society
http://www.clsnet.org/

International Coalition for Religious Freedom
http://www.religiousfreedom.com/
[Sponsored by the Unification Church.]

Liberty Counsel
http://www.lc.org/
[Sponsored by a Christian Ministry in Orlando, Florida.]

New CAN: Cult Awareness Network – The Foundation for Religious Freedom
http://www.cultawarenessnetwork.org/
[Sponsored by the Church of Scientology.]

Other Sources of Religious Freedom Information

International Association for Religious Freedom
http://www.iarf.net/

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
http://www.religioustolerance.org/

Religious Freedom Organizations
http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/relfreeorg/
[An extensive list of links maintained at the University of Virginia.]

USA Landmark Cases and Legal Guidelines

Federal Court Locator at Villanova University
http://vls.law.vill.edu/Locator/fedcourt.html
[See also the Villanova Legal Express search links.]

Letter to Superintendents: Secretary of Education
http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/08-1995/religion.html