Protecting Religion Through Statute: The Mixed Case of the United States

Authors

Jay D. Wexler, Boston University School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2007

ISSN

1931-7743

Publisher

Council on Faith & International Affairs

Language

en-US

Abstract

Various legislatures of the United States and those of other countries with transitional legal systems have much to learn from U.S. Congress's mixed record of protecting religious freedom through statute. While legal systems and religious culture differ tremendously worldwide, some general lessons transcend these variances. In this context, the successes and failures of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, (1993) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) are analyzed. Five major conclusions are reached, which focus on the danger of ambiguity and the need for clarity and strictness in order to prove a religious protection act effective.

Recommended Citation

Jay D. Wexler, Protecting Religion Through Statute: The Mixed Case of the United States , in 5 Review of Faith and International Affairs 17 (2007).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.bu.edu/faculty_scholarship/1796