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 New Mexico, 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 have the right to hold and express their religious beliefs without interference from the government. New Mexico cannot regulate religious beliefs, compel individuals to affirm a religious belief, punish the expression of religious doctrines, impose special disabilities based on religious views or status, or take sides in religious controversies. Furthermore, the free exercise of religion includes not only belief but also the performance of acts associated with religious practice, such as worship services, sacraments, proselytizing, and abstaining from certain activities. New Mexico would be violating the First Amendment if it attempted to prohibit these religious acts or abstentions solely based on their religious nature or the beliefs they represent. For example, it would be unconstitutional for the state to ban the creation of religious statues for worship or to prohibit certain religious practices like bowing down before a symbol of faith. The state must navigate carefully to ensure that any laws or regulations it enacts do not infringe upon these protected religious activities.