Despite how often the phrase appears in political debates, “religious liberty” isn’t a single provision of the Constitution. Conkle said those constitutional protections reflect two broad principles that have shaped debates over religious liberty throughout American history: religious freedom and religious equality. It reflected a deeper question that continues to shape religious liberty debates: when religious exercise conflicts with other claims of equality, which interest should prevail? Over time, however, conflicts involving LGBTQ rights and religious exemptions became some of the most visible and politically divisive religious liberty debates. Religious liberty as freedom from government coercionConservative Christian organizations frequently invoke religious liberty when arguing government should not compel believers to take actions that violate their conscience.