The founders of our nation believed that all Americans should have the right to worship according to their own beliefs, or not to worship at all. So strong was their commitment to religious freedom that they enshrined it in the first sentence of the Bill of Rights.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

This constitutional guarantee is often known as the "first freedom."

Religion is a deeply personal matter. Americans must be free to practice their religion without coercion. Government exists to provide for the general well-being of all people, and its workings must be independent of specific religious doctrines. Simply put, there must be a separation of church and state.

If we do not stand together as a nation, we stand to lose this fundamental freedom.

We, the undersigned, call upon elected and appointed officials to join us in reaffirming America's religious freedom by demonstrating a commitment to the following:

• Every American should have the right to make personal decisions -- about family life, reproductive health, end of life care and other matters of personal conscience.
• American tax dollars should not go to charities that discriminate in hiring based on religious belief or that promote a particular religious faith as a requirement for receiving services.
• Political candidates should not be endorsed or opposed by houses of worship.
• Public schools should teach with academic integrity and without the promotion of religious preference or belief.
• Decisions about scientific and health policies should be based on the best available scientific data, not on religious doctrine.
  
  

We join together, as the most diverse nation in the world, to commit ourselves to defending and preserving this freedom.