What is The First Amendment? A great bringer of conflict in the United States, it states some of the most fundamental rights in America, including the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion. The interpretation of these rights has been under a lot of debate, and many cases have arisen in the history of this country over what constitutes as free expression, especially religious expression. From the religious persecution of the early US to the court cases of today, religious freedom has been an evolving controversial issue that leaves uncertainty about the future. To understand why religious freedom has become so controversial, it helps to know what constitutes as religious freedom. The First Amendment states that there will be no law “respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” (First Amendment). This means that the government cannot establish anything considered an official national religion, and they cannot bar the practice of any religion within the United States as long as there is no danger “to others or to society at large” (Boston). Originally written to ensure that the religious persecution in Europe didn’t come to the United States, the First Amendment is “a major reason why the U.S. has managed to avoid a lot of the religious conflicts that have torn so many other nations apart” (“Your Right to Religious Freedom”). That doesn’t mean that the U.S. has been exempt from religious conflict, however, and there are many