April 24, 1944
In United States v. Ballard the Supreme Court ruled that neither the courts nor the government have the right to evaluate the religious beliefs of a citizen or group, upholding the general principle that “the truth of religious claims is not for secular authority to determine.” Guy Ballard, who believed he had the spiritual gift of curing diseases, solicited contributions in exchange for his healing services and was convicted of mail fraud. This decision prevented juries from being asked to consider whether a person’s religious beliefs were ever true. All that mattered was that the person accept them in good faith; no government was allowed to attempt to determine if they are logical, valid, or accurate.
