Have you ever considered where does your state rank for religious liberty?

Sure, most states can’t undo a lot of protections granted by the U.S. Constitution, but there are particular parts of this great nation that do a lot more to protect their citizen’s religious freedoms than others. By just exploring written law, a ranking can be established on what states are best for protecting the rights of their religious residents.

Going through every state’s legal texts to find a comprehensive ranking sounds like pretty hard work, but thankfully, Religious Liberty in the States has done the heavy lifting for you! Using a strict methodology, this organization managed to figure out the precise safeguards in place to protect religious liberty on a state-by-state level.

So, where are the best states for religious liberty?

Right at the top of the list are Mississippi, Illinois, New Mexico, Florida, and Washington. Mississippi is the only state that safeguards for-profit businesses that don’t want to engage in celebrations of marriage and weddings that conflict with religious beliefs.

As we move down the ranks, we find Vermont, Oregon and Iowa, California, West Virginia and New York at the very bottom. “New York has held great potential historically for promoting and realizing religious pluralism,” RLS researchers noted on the page dedicated to New York. “The oldest synagogue in America, Congregation Shearith Israel, was founded in 1654 in New York City.”

If you want your state to rank high atop the RLS list, now is the time to contact your local representatives. Not sure how to do that? We’ll help you!

Sign up to Change.MillionVoices today (text MV to 80550) and share this article with your friends and family so we can come together as citizen lobbyists to protect your religious liberty today.