If Our Democracy Is To Flourish, It

America Was Born Of Revolt, Flourished In Dissent, Became Great Through Experimentation.

The American People...have A Stake In Non-conformity. For They Know That The American Genius Is Non-conformist.

We Should Not Forget That Our Tradition Is One Of Protest And Revolt, And It Is Stultifying To Celebrate The Rebels Of The Past ... While We Silence The Rebels Of The Present.

The Decision For Complete Religious Freedom And For Separation Of Church And State In The Eyes Of The Rest Of The World Was Perhaps The Most Important Decision Reached In The New World. Everywhere In The Western World Of The 18th Century, Church And State Were One; And Everywhere The State Maintained An Established Church And Tried To Force Conformity To Its Dogma.

The Americans Who Framed Our Constitution Felt That Without Freedom Of Religion No Other Freedom Counted.