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Article: America's Legacy of Religious Liberty: pass it on!(Editorials)(Editorial)
- Article from:
- Church & State
- Article date:
- November 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Americans United for Separation of Church and State. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A new poll of American attitudes toward church-state separation reveals some troubling data.
The poll, conducted by a Virginia nonprofit, the Council for America's First Freedom, found that 49 percent of respondents believe that separation of church and state does not need to be maintained or has been interpreted too strictly.
Equally alarming, a majority of Americans, 53 percent, do not know that the Constitution protects religious liberty. Only 47 percent knew that religious freedom is found in the First Amendment. Thirty-two percent thought it emanates from the Declaration of Independence, and 9 percent said the Ten Commandments!
When ...