Final answer:
The establishment clause prevents government endorsement of a state religion and ensures no favoritism in religious matters, while the free-exercise clause protects individuals' rights to practice their religion without government interference. Together, they uphold religious freedom and require impartial treatment of all religions by the state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purposes of the establishment clause and the free-exercise clause in the Bill of Rights are multi-faceted. The establishment clause aims to prevent the government from endorsing or supporting a state-sponsored religion, ensuring a separation between church and state, and avoiding the favoring of certain religious beliefs over others or religion over non-religion. The free-exercise clause, on the other hand, prohibits the government from regulating religious beliefs and practices, guaranteeing individuals the right to practice their religion without interference. These two clauses work together to maintain religious freedom by protecting citizens from governmental imposition or restriction of religious beliefs. For example, the Supreme Court, in interpreting these clauses, has determined that while the government cannot promote religion, it can grant tax-exempt status to religious institutions as long as it does so impartially, treating all religions equally.