The First Amendment & the Madisonian Dilemma - Freedom from Persecution for the Cause of Conscience by the State

In health care cases involving children, people are still vulnerable to religious persecution
in this country, particularly in the State of Florida, because the public officials responsible for
securing and enforcing the laws tend to lend the prestige of their offices to advance the private and
special interests of themselves and others at the expense of minority groups. Following a literary
review of the laws that provide for the free exercise of religion nationally and in the State of
Florida, I apply case law to a hypothetical case, based on true facts concerning parents who are
African American, Jehovah's Witness and Muslim, who refused certain medical treatment for their
minor child according to their beliefs to show how public officials can abuse their powers and
neglect their duties and substantially burden the free exercise of religion by minority groups and
address possible remedies.