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 Oklahoma, 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. The state cannot compel individuals to affirm any religious belief, punish them for their religious expressions, impose special disabilities based on religious views or status, or take sides in religious doctrinal disputes. Furthermore, the free exercise of religion encompasses not only belief systems but also the performance of acts associated with those beliefs, such as attending worship services, participating in religious ceremonies, proselytizing, and following religious dietary laws or practices. Oklahoma must not prohibit these religious acts or abstentions if they are undertaken for religious reasons, nor can it target religious practices for prohibition. Any state action that singles out religious acts for special restrictions or prohibitions would likely be found unconstitutional under the First Amendment.