United States v. Seeger

The ruling determined that conscientious objectors, who oppose participation in war on religious grounds, are entitled by law to seek exemption from compulsory military service if they hold unorthodox spiritual beliefs that are fundamentally equivalent to a traditional belief in God.

Since Congress first instituted compulsory military service during World War I with the Draft Act of 1917, the issue of religious objection to conscription has caused controversy. Though the First Amendment protects the free exercise of religious belief, the Supreme Court has consistently maintained that there is no constitutional right to exemption from draft registration or military service. Congress, however, has allowed such an exemption by statute. The law requires that a person seeking exemption prove both that his religious beliefs prohibit him from participating in war, and that these religious beliefs are sincere.