Pre-Test: Religious Toleration and Religious Liberty
Student First Name
Student Last Initial
Teacher Name
With respect to individual rights, the Constitution:
tells us what we are allowed to do and enumerates to individuals the rights granted to them by their government.
is based on the assumption that individuals can act as they see fit as long as they do not interfere with the rights of others.
offers a set of guidelines that continually allows that "we the people" can determine which rights government should establish for the good of society.
empowers the government to provide resources and opportunities to individuals, so that everyone is able to meaningfully exercise their protected rights.
Which of these leaders supported the closest connection between church and state?
Thomas Jefferson
Patrick Henry
George Washington
James Madison
Which of the following statements best reflects what you think students should know about rights?
Rights are granted by government and are enumerated in the Constitution.
Rights belong to us by nature and the purpose of government is to protect them.
Rights change from time to time based on what society determines to be most just.
Rights are just words on a page unless they are accompanied by the resources necessary to act on them.
Which of these statements expresses the highest level of support for liberty of conscience?
"No person...professing to believe in Jesus Christ shall...be any waies troubled, molested, or discountenanced for...his or her religion..." (Act Concerning Religion, Maryland, 1649)
"All men should enjoy the fullest toleration in the exercise of religion..." (George Mason, 1776)
"It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly...to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the Universe." (Massachusetts Constitution, 1780)
"The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man, and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate." (James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, 1785)
What is the most important lesson to learn about religious liberty?
Religious liberty is an essential right in all humans.
Individuals should only exercise religious liberty privately rather than in the public square.
Individuals have religious liberty unless it conflicts with the majority.
Religious liberty is not compatible with a modern tolerant society.
Who was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)
Thomas Jefferson
John Locke
Patrick Henry
George Washington
Within its role of protecting life, liberty, and property of all people, in questions concerning religious liberty, government should
grant religious liberty when possible.
be empowered to violate the religious liberty of religious minorities.
protect religious liberty as a basic human right.
be empowered to violate religious liberties whenever necessary to maintain order.
Which President of the United States wrote several letters to different religious congregations, affirming religious liberty and promoting religious practice for virtue and good citizenship?
James Madison
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
John Adams
What important change did American Founding debates and documents introduce for religious liberty?
Religious minorities lost protections for religious tolerance.
Freedom of conscience came to be seen as a fundamental human right.
Christianity, but no other religions, received official government support.
The government gained greater control over citizens' private religious beliefs.
The defining characteristics of religion in colonial America before the American Revolution was:
Unrestricted religious liberty in all the colonies as a natural right of all people.
Established churches and religious penalties or discrimination applied against religious minorities in most colonies.
In most colonies, strict protection of the rights of religious minorities.
a bloody civil war between the different denominations in the colonies.
Which of the following best describes the Founders' general approach to religious liberty?
Their approach to religious liberty reflected policies most common in the world at the time.
The Founders did not seem to give much thought to religious liberty.
Since they intended to establish a Christian nation, the Founders allowed for restrictions at the national level on the religious liberties of non-Christians.
Religious liberty was an important part of their public and private writings about universal rights for all humans.
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