ABSTRACT
The Amish are an ultraorthodox Protestant religious group that has been involved in several important US Supreme Court cases regarding the religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. The Amish first arrived in America in colonial times, as they fled religious persecution in Europe. They lead an insular lifestyle by attempting to remain separate from society at large and rejecting modern technology, and religion defines all aspects of their way of life. Court in Yoder was whether a minority should be exempted from a law of general applicability when the law violated their religious beliefs. The Amish, as a "discrete and insular minority," merited the Court's protection of their free exercise of religion. The federal government's overriding interest in maintaining the integrity of the Social Security system likely tipped the scales in its favor. The Court concluded that any hindrance to the free exercise of their religion was a justified hardship for the Amish.
