2008 civics test · Question 10 · Principles of American Democracy
What is freedom of religion?
Official answer
- You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
What this means
Freedom of religion means you can practice any religion, or not practice a religion at all.
That second half matters. The First Amendment protects your right to follow any faith, to change faiths, and equally to follow none. The government cannot establish an official national religion, and it cannot punish or favor you for what you believe.
This is one of the freedoms protected by the First Amendment, along with freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, and the right to petition the government.
The accepted answer is short: “You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.”
Why this is on the test
The answer includes the right to practice no religion at all, which is the part applicants most often leave out.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
Related questions
More from Principles of American Democracy.
- 1 What is the supreme law of the land?
- 2 What does the Constitution do?
- 3 The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
- 4 What is an amendment?
- 5 What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
- 6 What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? ★ 65/20 question