What do the religion clauses of the First Amendment accomplish?

The religion clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution serve to protect religious freedom by preventing government interference with individual religious practices. More specifically, the First Amendment contains two key elements: the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion, and the Free Exercise Clause, which protects individuals' rights to practice their religion as they choose.

By ensuring that individuals can freely exercise their religion without government intervention, the religion clauses create a separation between church and state. This means that the government cannot impose religious beliefs or practices upon individuals nor can it inhibit individuals from practicing their faith. This is foundational to the principle of religious liberty in the U.S. and establishes a framework where diverse beliefs can coexist without fear of governmental coercion or sanction.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately reflect the intent or function of the religion clauses. Establishing a national religion contradicts the Establishment Clause, promoting religious education in public schools would often conflict with both clauses depending on implementation, and limiting the expression of religious beliefs contradicts the purpose of protecting individual religious practice. Thus, the correct understanding lies in the protection of individual religious practices from government interference.