We are accustomed to Alabama being competitive nationally in college football and, in the last few years, in basketball. And we are used to being first in the alphabet.
We can now add one more national number one for the state of Alabama, and it’s a vital arena.
Alabama is now ranked #1 nationally in protections for religious freedom — more protections even than the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
A 2025 study determined that Alabama leads the nation as the most “faith-friendly,” while Michigan and Washington rank lowest in protecting freedoms for religious ministries.
The “Faith & Freedom Index” of Napa Legal Institute, in its third annual study, examined 15 factors in state law that affect faith-based ministries and their ability to operate. The report looked at regulatory burdens, charitable registration laws, religious freedom protections, employment laws and state constitutions. They then ranked scores for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Alabama (72%), Kansas (69%), Indiana (68%), Texas (65%), and Mississippi (63%) received the highest overall scores for protecting religious and regulatory freedom for faith-based ministries.
Take note that these top five states are all predominantly Republican.
At 72%, Alabama, at number one, still has room for improvement.
Alabama has a number of effective citizen groups that lobby for religious freedom – Eagle Forum, Alabama Policy Institute, Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP), Alabama Republican Assembly, Common Sense Campaign, the Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP), a number of pro-life groups, the Alabama Baptist State Convention, and some bold pastors and their outspoken churches.
The report singled out Alabama for having stronger protections for religious free exercise or worship in their state constitutions than even the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Alabama also earned high marks for having non-discrimination laws that avoid burdening faith-based employers and for enacting state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs).
Of the six lowest-ranking states — Michigan (31%), Washington (35%), Massachusetts (37%), and Illinois, Maryland, and West Virginia (each 38%) — five are Democrat-controlled. West Virginia is the Republican outlier.
The study was conducted by Napa Legal, a nonprofit legal education group that equips religious organizations with tools to protect their missions.
“The many religious freedom attacks over the past few years are chilling reminders that without staunch state-level protections for religious freedom, ordinary Americans will suffer, regardless of how supportive the current administration may be,” Napa Legal Senior Counsel Frank Devito said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The report concluded that lawmakers have an opportunity to bolster protections while the Trump administration and the U.S. Supreme Court continue to champion religious liberty.
“This year’s Faith and Freedom Index serves as a powerful tool for lawmakers to see where they must add protections, strengthen existing state laws, or repeal harmful state laws. We must seize this moment, especially given the current presidential administration and a Supreme Court that continues to champion religious freedom, to enact stalwart, enduring state protections that will protect the rights of Americans for generations to come.”
The 2025 index also highlighted states that improved their rankings from prior years. Wyoming and Georgia, both of which enacted RFRAs this year, climbed to ninth and sixth place.
Jim Zig Zeigler is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. His beat includes the positive and colorful about Alabama – her people, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former State Auditor and Public Service Commissioner. You can reach him at [email protected]
