What does the Free Exercise Clause prohibit regarding government action?

The Free Exercise Clause primarily protects individuals' rights to practice their religion freely without undue interference from the government. One of its main prohibitions is against restricting religious practices unless the government can show a compelling interest that justifies such restrictions. This means that for the government to limit or interfere with a person's religious practices, it must demonstrate that the interference is necessary to achieve a significant governmental goal, and that there are no less restrictive means to achieve that goal.

This principle has been established through various court rulings, which emphasize that protecting religious practices is of paramount importance in a free society. Therefore, the correct choice accurately reflects the core function of the Free Exercise Clause in safeguarding individual liberties against unjustified government action.

In contrast, while establishing a national religion, encouraging certain religious practices over others, and regulating religious organizations may raise important constitutional issues, these actions are more accurately tied to the Establishment Clause rather than the Free Exercise Clause. The Free Exercise Clause specifically focuses on prohibiting unnecessary government restrictions on the practice of faith.