Article 28 of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan stipulated that "Japanese subjects shall, within limits not prejudicial to peace and order, and not antagonistic to their duties as subjects, enjoy freedom of religious belief," but the scope of their 'duties as subjects' was a topic of debate at the lawmaking stage, with Hirobumi ITO and Kowashi INOUE, who helped draft the constitution, of the opinion that the veneration of shrines was not included in the duties of subjects.
大日本帝国憲法第28条の条文では「日本臣民ハ安寧秩序ヲ妨ケス及臣民タルノ義務ニ背カサル限ニ於テ信教ノ自由ヲ有ス」となっていたが、この「臣民タルノ義務」の範囲は立法段階で議論の的となっており、起草者である伊藤博文・井上毅は神社への崇敬は臣民の義務に含まれないという見解を持っていた。