The First Amendment to the United States Constitution makes it unlawful for the U.S. Congress or any of the states to prohibit the free exercise of religion.

The free exercise of religion means the right to believe and profess whatever religious doctrine one desires. Thus, the First Amendment obviously excludes all governmental regulation of religious beliefs. The government may not compel affirmation of religious belief, punish the expression of religious doctrines it believes to be false, impose special disabilities on the basis of religious views or religious status, or lend its power to one or the other side in controversies over religious authority or dogma.

But the exercise of religion often involves not only belief and profession of belief, but the performance of (or abstention from) physical acts: assembling with others for a worship service; participating in sacramental use of bread and wine; proselytizing; or abstaining from certain foods or certain modes of transportation.

A State would presumably be prohibiting the free exercise of religion if it sought to ban such acts or abstentions only when they are engaged in for religious reasons, or only because of the religious belief that they display. It would be unconstitutional, for example, to ban the creation of statues that are to be used for worship purposes, or to prohibit bowing down before a golden calf.

In Arkansas, as in all states, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides robust protections for the free exercise of religion. This means that individuals in Arkansas have the right to hold any religious belief they choose and to express those beliefs without fear of government interference. The government cannot force individuals to adhere to a particular religion, penalize them for their religious beliefs, or impose special restrictions based on their religious status. Furthermore, the free exercise of religion includes the right to perform or abstain from physical acts as part of religious practice, such as attending worship services, participating in religious rituals, proselytizing, or following religious dietary laws. Arkansas cannot prohibit these acts when they are done for religious reasons or target religious practices for special restrictions. Any state action that singles out religious acts or abstentions because of their religious nature would likely be found unconstitutional under the First Amendment. It's important to note that while the free exercise of religion is broadly protected, there are limits when religious practices conflict with other compelling state interests, and such cases may require a balancing of interests.