For two hundred years, General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church have been concerned with religious liberty and the relationship of church and state. The first General Assembly might well have heard the echo of Hanover Presbytery's mighty Memorial to the Virginia legislature: “We ask no ecclesiastical establishments for ourselves; neither can we approve of them when granted to others.” Since 1788, our basic Principles of Church Order have placed in the first position the powerful commitment of our Reformed faith to religious liberty: “God alone is Lord of the conscience. … We do not even wish to see any religious constitution aided by the civil power, further than may be necessary for protection and security, and at the same time be equal and common to all others.”

The Bill of Rights in the Constitution of our civil order also accords the first position to this same commitment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. …” These clauses have been remarkably successful in guaranteeing religious liberty and assuring religious peace in a nation of extraordinary religious vitality and pluralism. As we deal with the difficult and controversial issues of religious liberty, we must not lose sight of its many aspects that are not controversial. Freedom of religious belief is unquestioned in this country. The right to basic religious observance is unquestioned. It is unthinkable that civil and political rights might be conditioned on adherence to a particular religious faith. In many countries of the world, none of these things are true.