Alternative Religions: The Role of Government Intervention in Religious Freedom
Abstract:
This project will explore the First Amendment and its relation to religious freedom as applied by the United States government based on fear of losing domestic control. By exploring several infamous ‘cults’, or alternative religions, which arose from the 1970s through the 1990s, we will see how the United States government placed limitations on these religious groups’ First Amendment rights. This goes against the very definition and purpose as outlined by the framers in the Bill of Rights. Given the definition of the First Amendment there is the ideology that the right to practice any religion is protected, however, we can see through the treatment of new founded religious movements by the government that this is not true, drawing the question, is religious freedom really free? This project argues that religious freedom is limited by the government due to governmental fear in junction with the social and political climate. I will be utilizing these infamous ‘cults’ to showcase the limitations to our free expression of religion due to government fear through the subjectivity of the First Amendment.