Religious liberty requires unceasing vigilance.

• Author: Campbell, Joan Brown

"Any attempt at affecting public policy should be tempered by a tolerance for differing views and a recognition that a multiplicity of voices is crucial for the success of a democratic society. Neither church nor state may control, dominate, or subjugate the other."

THERE ARE two strikingly different views about the proper role of religion in public life. One portrays America as a Christian or Judeo-Christian nation. This wrongly suggests that the Founding Fathers never meant to separate the institutions of church and state or prohibit the establishment of religion. Such a perspective is historically inaccurate and endangers common welfare because it uses religion to divide, rather than unite, the American people. This outlook on religion in public life, inaccurate and dangerous as it is, has gained credence in reaction to another inaccurate and equally damaging one.

The latter sees religion and religious groups as having a minimal role in--perhaps even being barred from--the vital public discourses carried on in a democracy. It sees faith-based involvement in the democratic process as violating the principle of church-state separation. It regards religious arguments as naive and seeks to embarrass any who profess religious motivation for their public positions on political issues. This view denies the nation the powerful moral guidance of its religious heritage and discourages many of the brightest and most committed citizens from actively participating in public life.

Individuals and organizations committed to religious liberty, as well as a robust role for religion in public life, share a different vision about the future that avoids both the theocratic tendencies on one side and the hostility toward religion associated with the other. Now more than ever, the U.S. must maintain its commitment to freedom for persons of all faiths or none. Americans are beset by religious and ethnic conflict abroad. Exploding pluralism challenges us at home. At such a time, we must reaffirm our dedication to providing what Roger Williams, a clergyman and founder of the Rhode Island colony, called a "haven for the cause of conscience." That conscience is guarded best by maintaining a healthy distance between the institutions of religion and government.

It is not enough to reaffirm these truths, though. We must incorporate them into our private lives as well as public policies. We must apply these principles in practical ways whether electing a school board member or president of the U.S., whether debating aid to parochial schools or prayer in public schools.

The first 16 words of the First Amendment--"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"--form the backbone of the American experiment. Together, they guarantee religious liberty for Americans of every faith as well as for those who affirm no faith at all. A profound belief in the free exercise of religion motivated the decision of the Founders to disestablish religion in the new nation. The connecting link between the two clauses is freedom of conscience.

While not divorcing religion from public life, the establishment clause separates the institutions of church and state. Grounded in the belief that government should serve all citizens regardless of their religious belief or disbelief, and that authentic faith must be...