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 Minnesota, 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 Minnesota have the right to hold any religious belief they choose and to express those beliefs without fear of government interference. The government is prohibited from compelling individuals to adhere to a particular religious belief, punishing individuals for their religious doctrines, imposing special disabilities based on religious views or status, or taking sides in religious controversies. Furthermore, the free exercise of religion includes the right to engage in religious practices, such as worship services, sacraments, proselytizing, and observing religious dietary or transportation restrictions. Minnesota cannot ban religious practices or abstentions if the prohibition is specifically targeted at religious reasons or is based on the religious beliefs that the practices represent. Any state action that singles out religious acts or abstentions for special treatment or restriction would likely be found unconstitutional under the First Amendment.