INTRODUCTION

Can a society that guarantees freedom of religion be a religious society? America's founding fathers argued that the guarantee of religious freedom was the only way that religion could flourish in the new nation. The effect of that reasoning, the way in which that guarantee has been interpreted, and the question of the religious orientation of American society are the focus of this issue of our electronic journal.

FOCUS

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN AMERICA
By President Bill Clinton
In a speech delivered to students at a suburban Washington, D.C. high school, President Clinton presents an informal and personal discussion of his own view of the meaning of religious freedom guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. The president talks about his first-hand experience and the importance of religious tolerance. He also defines as critical an understanding of the difference between state support of religion and protection of those seeking to exercise their personal religion in public settings.

COMMENTARY

THE ROOTS OF AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
By Professor Charles C. Haynes
This brief article draws on frequently asked questions and answers about the constitutional basis of U.S. religious freedom, and the separation of church and state. The materials originally appeared on the Internet site of The First Amendment Center at The Freedom Forum of Vanderbilt University.

THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT:
CASE STUDY IN CONFLICT
By Nina Totenberg
It is the United States Supreme Court which is the ultimate judge of the way in which the American system balances conflicting rights of its citizens and government. The Court has been a major player in defining the intentions of the founding fathers, expressed through the U.S. Constitution and related writings. In so doing, it has enormous power to shape daily lives in many areas. Religion has long been one of those areas. The U.S. Constitution s discussion of religious freedom is very brief. It is through the Court s interpretive rulings that the application of this guarantee has been applied to contemporary life, with wide effect.

SEEING AMERICA AS A RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
By William Peters
Various observers, including President Clinton, have described America as one of the most religious societies in the world. This article provides a brief tour d'horizon of contemporary religious America in its remarkable variety and vitality. It is designed to help readers understand how many religions can flourish side by side, how they shape individual lives and shape the national character.

ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES:
A TENTATIVE ASCENT
An interview with Dr. Yvonne Haddad
Moving from the general to the specific, this article spotlights the fastest-growing faith in the United States, how it is practiced, and how it coexists with more traditional American religions. Dr. Haddad, a professor of Islamic Studies, is the author of numerous works on Islam in this nation.

RELIGION IN AMERICA: WILL THE VITALITY OF CHURCHES
BE THE SURPRISE OF THE NEXT CENTURY?
By George Gallup, Jr.
In this article reprinted from The Public Perspective, one of America's pre-eminent pollsters analyzes the numbers of American religion, and talks about what they say about the present and perhaps the future.

SEPARATION AND INTERACTION:
RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES
An Interview with Kenneth D. Wald
The relationship between religion and politics in the United States has been marked by frequent shifts in intensity and degree. Sometimes intersecting, sometimes clashing, sometimes operating on parallel tracks, the linkage has been one of the more fascinating aspects of American history and life. Dr. Kenneth D. Wald, author of a seminal book, Religion and Politics in the United States, discusses this phenomenon.

DEPARTMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND INTERNET SOURCES
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT . . . Resources on Religion in America

U.S. Society & Values

USIA Electronic Journal

Volume 2, Number 1, March 1997

USIA's electronic journals, published and transmitted worldwide at two-week intervals, examine major issues facing the United States and the international community, and inform foreign publics about the United States. The journals -- Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda and U.S. Society & Values -- provide analysis, commentary and background information in their thematic areas. French and Spanish language versions appear one week after the English. The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government. Articles may be reproduced and translated outside the United States unless there are specific copyright restrictions cited on the article.

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Please note this change in our numbering system: With volume one, journal editions were numbered sequentially as a group. With volume two, each edition is numbered separately in sequence (e.g., U.S. Society & Values, Vol. 2, No. 1).




Publisher..........................Judith S. Siegel
Editor.............................William Peters
Managing Editors...................Charlotte Astor
                 ..................Michael Bandler
Associate Editors..................Wayne Hall
                 ..................Guy Olson
Contributing Editors...............Rosalie Targonski
                 ..................Mark Smith
Art Director/Graphic Designer......Thaddeus A. Miskinski, Jr.
Graphics Assistant.................Sylvia Scott
Internet Editor....................Chandley McDonald
Reference and Research.............Mary Ann V. Gamble
                 ..................Kathy Spiegel

                  Editorial Board

Howard Cincotta...Rosemary Crockett...Judy S. Siegel

U.S. Society & Values
USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, March 1997