Professor Richard Garnett gives a talk at the Notre Dame law school. Photo by Luka Vaicekauskaite / The Observer On Monday, Notre Dame Law school professor Richard W. Garnett delivered a timely lecture titled “Freedom of Religion in Catholic Teaching and Constitutional Law.” His lecture addressed the complexities of religious freedom from two perspectives: as understood within the Catholic tradition and as protected by the U.S. Constitution, revealing how these viewpoints influence public policy and individual rights in a democratic society. Garnett began with a foundational quote from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Professor Garnett used this quote to illustrate the bedrock of religious freedom in American law. However, he noted that, unlike many European nations, the United States lacks explicit legal protections for “conscience rights,” leaving certain ethical and moral issues susceptible to shifting legal interpretations. After identifying this perceived gap, Garnett addressed issues surrounding religious freedom like the accommodation problem and the cooperation problem in the context of U.S. law. Garnett posed a question central to the accommodation issue: “How should the law deal with situations where, for religious […]

By : Markus McDowell