Authored by Thomas Jefferson in 1777 and enacted in 1786 by the Virginia General Assembly, the statute is considered the foundational document for the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses that guarantee religious freedom in the First Amendment—an amendment that, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights, was ratified just under six years later.
“Even in a time of deep division, most Americans still believe religion—and the freedom to practice it—is crucial.”
Each year at this time, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty measures America’s support for religious freedom. The 2024 Religious Freedom Index uses a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates complete opposition to each of the surveyed categories of religious freedom, and 100 indicates complete support for that category.
Surveying a sampling of 1,000 adults from different backgrounds and differing degrees of religious practice, the 2024 Religious Freedom Index found a broad swath of approval across all categories, adding up to the highest overall approval rating for the human right in six years.
Among the categories indicating a renewed unity on the subject of America’s first freedom:
- 75 percent of Americans support the freedom to choose a religion and worship without persecution—up nearly 20 percentage points from 2020.
- Religious sharing—the willingness to openly discuss and express one’s personal faith with others—scores high, with Gen Zers surprisingly leading the way among all age groups.
- Religion in action—acceptance of religious expression in the public square, especially from minority traditions—also gets a high score, with Gen Zers again setting the pace.
This year’s survey shows a nation—in contrast to what the media trumpets—becoming less polarized, at least on what makes America America: religious freedom. No less important, and foreshadowing a brighter future, is the happy surprise of the younger generation—those born between 1997 and 2012—embracing religious inclusion and expression in a way they hadn’t in past years.
“Even in a time of deep division, most Americans still believe religion—and the freedom to practice it—is crucial to overcoming our disagreements,” said Mark Rienzi, Becket’s president and CEO. “We should take heart that our nation remains committed to forging a future where faith is a cornerstone of our culture.”
