American Religion, American Politics : An Anthology
New Haven, CT
Yale University Press
2017
59-61
An excerpt from the majority opinion of the Reynolds v. United States, which ruled that fulfilling one's religious duty (in this case practicing polygamy) didn't shield one from criminal prosecution related to that activity. Noted themes in this excerpt include "the ambiguous meaning of religious freedom and of religion itself," and "the centrality of the family to Americans' conception of religion and democracy."