Americans today must choose between two quite different visions of what
our society should be. In one, sectarian special interests would -
Tear down the constitutional wall of separation between church and state,
eroding the religious liberty and privacy rights of all Americans.
Tax all citizens for the support of sectarian private schools.
Replace healthy pluralism with religious conformity.
Downgrade free democratic public education, and destroy the religious
neutrality of our public schools through government-sponsored devotions,
the intrusion of religious doctrines (such as "creationism") in science
classes, textbook censorship, and allowing sectarian missionaries into schools.
Seriously weaken freedom of conscience by imposing sectarian
medico/moral codes on all women by law.
Change the Constitution to undermine the First Amendment.
The other vision, that of tens of millions of Americans of all
persuasions, is much closer to the ideals of the Founders of our nation.
In this vision -
Government is secular (i.e., religiously neutral); the principle of
separation of church and state is strictly observed; public funds are not
used for sectarian purposes or institutions; freedom of religion is equally
guaranteed to all.
All children are entitled to free, high-quality, democratic,
religiously-neutral public education.
Individuals have the right and responsibility to make their own moral
decisions, and privacy rights are maximized; women are protected in their
right to decide by themselves if and when to bear children.
Science education in public schools is rigorously scientific and
undiluted by pseudoscience or sectarian religion; social studies stress
democratic values, good citizenship, the importance of morality and free
inquiry; religion is studied objectively as part of human culture.
Freedom of thought, inquiry, expression, association, and access to
information and ideas is maximized; common sense, reason, science, free
inquiry and democratic processes are honored.
