A Shared Vision: Religious Liberty in the 21st Century

Publication Date: October 2002

Publisher: American Jewish Committee

Author(s):

Research Area: Culture and religion; Education; Human rights

Keywords: Pluralism; Religion; Church and State; Community Relations

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

This statement was originally released in 1994 and signed by more than 80 individuals and six religious and civil liberties organizations. This version has been updated by following list of organizations to reflect legislative and judicial developments in church-state law since the original release: The American Jewish Committee; Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs; The Interfaith Alliance Foundation; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.


The authors of this statement hold that America's embrace of religious liberty has produced the most religiously pluralistic nation in history. The success of that bold experiment in liberty cannot be denied, but its future is always at risk. As representatives of religious organizations, they reaffirm their commitment to maintaining church-state separation as the best means of assuring robust religious liberty and to creating a climate of mutual respect in a religiously diverse culture.