Religious freedom is a bigger issue in America today than some realize.

In recent years, the notion of religious liberty has become increasingly contentious because of a growing cultural divide over faith and its place in the public square.

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The Supreme Court recently decided to take up the case of a Christian baker who did not make a cake for a gay couple’s wedding. Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in suburban Denver, Colorado, claimed religious exemption due to his belief in traditional marriage.

The ability of our citizens to actively and freely live out their religious beliefs is a vital part of the American dream. A majority of evangelical Christians say religious freedom is what makes America great, according to a new study released July 3 from the Barna Group, an evangelical Christian polling firm based in Ventura, California.

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“Though the idea of American exceptionalism isn’t a recent invention, we’ve heard a lot lately from President [Donald] Trump and his supporters about ‘making America great again.’ But what, exactly, do people believe makes America great?” the organization asked in its poll of 1,015 adults, taken from June 5 to 9.

Fifty-three percent of evangelicals said they viewed religious freedom as the key quality that makes this country great, the group reported. On average, 20 percent of Americans hold this view.

“Evangelicals esteem freedom of religion and America’s Christian roots more than any other group,” Barna noted. Forty percent of evangelicals viewed America’s Christian roots as making America great again — compared to an 11 percent average from respondents in the poll.

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In the case of the Christian cake baker, the court will decide the fate of his American dream: “The high court will now decide whether applying Colorado’s public accommodations law to compel the baker to create ‘expression’ — a wedding cake — violates his constitutionally protected Christian beliefs about marriage,” as Fox News reported. “Phillips told the Supreme Court he has free speech and religious rights under the First Amendment that should protect him. He said he should not be compelled to bake a cake specifically to honor a same-sex marriage.”