2021-11-22
从2021年11月起， 《宗教自由法案》 在奥克拉荷马州正式生效。此法案由议员Bullard and Hill 等提出，2021年3月11日在州参议院以37赞成票对9反对票获得通过，4月20日在州众议院以70赞成票对20反对票获得通过，4月26日州长签字。此法案又称《参议院法案368号》。As of November 2021, the Religious Freedom Act has been in effect in Oklahoma. The bill, introduced by Bullard and Hill and others, passed the Senate on March 11, 2021, by a vote of 37 to 9, and the House on April 20, by a vote of 70 to 20, and was signed by the Governor on April 26. This bill is also known as Senate Bill 368.
(http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb368&Session=2100)，
法案内容摘要 Summary：
253节 (Section 253)
A. 除本节B小节规定的情况外，任何政府实体不得对一个人的宗教自由活动造成实质性的负担，即使这种负担是由普遍适用的规则造成的。Except as provided in subsection B of this section, no governmental entity shall substantially burden a person’s free exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability.
B.任何政府实体不得对一个人的宗教自由活动造成实质性的负担，除非它证明对该人适用这种负担是No governmental entity shall substantially burden a person’s free exercise of religion unless it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person is：
1. 对促进令人信服的政府利益至关重要；并且 Essential to further a compelling governmental interest; and
2. 是推进这一令人信服的政府利益的最小限制性手段。The least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.
C. 252节定义的政府实体不得宣布或认为宗教机构以及与该机构履行其使命和宗旨直接相关的任何活动为非必要的。任何宗教机构为健康或安全目的而受到的关闭或限制，不得超过对面临相同或类似健康或安全状况的任何私人实体所施加的限制。No governmental entity as defined pursuant to Section 252 of this title shall declare or deem a religious institution and any activity directly related to the institution’s discharge of its mission and purpose to be nonessential. No religious institution shall be subject to a closure or restriction for the purposes of health or security that is greater than that imposed upon any private entity facing the same or similar health or security conditions.
法案提出缘由 Background:
（https://oksenate.gov/press-releases/oklahoma-religious-freedom-act-passes-committee）
共和党议员David Bullard认为宪法保证 “国会不得制定有关宗教信仰的法律，或禁止自由行使宗教信仰；不得限制言论或出版自由；不得限制人民和平集会和向政府请愿的权利Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
“在我们的宪法中，禁止国会制定针对宗教机构的法律，就是要求政府不要插手我们的信仰。但现在的事实是，许多教堂，国家和全州的教堂，基本上被违宪地关闭或受到威胁，这一事实必须得到解决，我们的自由必须得到保护。关键在于，我们不允许非必要的政府把我们的信仰和自由变成为非必要。In our Constitution, the prohibition of Congress to make laws against religious establishments is on the government to stay out of our faith. The fact that many churches, nation and statewide, were essentially and unconstitutionally shut down or threatened must be addressed and our freedoms must be protected,” Bullard said. “It is essential that we don’t allow nonessential governments to render our faith and freedom as nonessential.”
David Bullard 还引用了最高法院法官约瑟夫-斯托里在《约瑟夫-斯托里的生活与书信》中对这一神圣权利所阐明的立场：“普通法在历史上从来不曾有一个时期不承认基督教是其基础的。” Bullard also cited Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story’s stand on this sacred right from Life and Letters of Joseph Story, “There never has been a period of history, in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundation.”