Astate adopted a statute making the ritual slaughter of chickens illegal. the legislative debates made clear that the purpose of the statute was to prevent unnecessary cruelty to animals. the religious leader of a church located within the state, whose core religious beliefs require ritual slaughter of chickens during worship services, brought suit to have the statute declared unconstitutional for violating her right to practice her religion.

how will the court likely rule?

a uphold the statute, because of the compelling state interest involved.
b uphold the statute, because it is a neutral law of general application.
c invalidate the statute, because ritual slaughter is a core tenet of the plaintiff's religious beliefs.
d invalidate the statute, because it targets only ritual slaughter.