United States v. Seeger

Q: What court decided Seeger?

United States v. Seeger was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1965.

Q: What legal issues are involved in Seeger?

United States v. Seeger involves the following religious liberty issues: Free Exercise.

Legal Case

The test for exemption from military service based on religious belief should be interpreted to include individuals with sincere and meaningful beliefs occupying a place in their lives parallel to that filled by the God of those admittedly qualifying, broadening the definition beyond theistic beliefs.

ReligiousLiberty.TV February 26, 2026 1 min read

Cite This Case

United States v. Seeger (U.S. 1965).

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United States v. Seeger (U.S. Supreme Court, 1965). https://religiousliberty.tv/case-library/seeger/

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⚠ No official reporter citation found for this case. Citation quality will improve once a reporter citation (e.g. 573 U.S. 682) is added to the case record.

United States v. Seeger [U.S. Supreme Court, 1965] — The test for exemption from military service based on religious belief should be interpreted to include individuals with sincere and meaningful beliefs occupying a place in their lives parallel to that filled by the God of those admittedly qualifying, broadening the definition beyond theistic beliefs. Source: ReligiousLiberty.TV (https://religiousliberty.tv/case-library/seeger/, accessed September 14, 2026).

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⚠ No official reporter citation found for this case. Citation quality will improve once a reporter citation (e.g. 573 U.S. 682) is added to the case record.

Year: 1965 Court: U.S. Supreme Court

Free Exercise

Holding: The test for exemption from military service based on religious belief should be interpreted to include individuals with sincere and meaningful beliefs occupying a place in their lives parallel to that filled by the God of those admittedly qualifying, broadening the definition beyond theistic beliefs.

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Official Documents

🎧 Oyez (Oral Arguments) 📚 CourtListener

Coverage on ReligiousLiberty.TV

📎 Document links found in our articles: 📄 opinion

The Challenge of Non-Religious Moral Beliefs in the Workplace June 24, 2024

Referenced

United States v. Seeger is a Free Exercise case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1965. The court held that the test for exemption from military service based on religious belief should be interpreted to include individuals with sincere and meaningful beliefs occupying a place in their lives parallel to that filled by the God of those admittedly qualifying, broadening the definition beyond theistic beliefs.