Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The above text of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in a mere 45 words, lays out four of the most important fundamental rights of American citizens. A recent issue of USIA electronic journals (Issues of Democracy, Volume 2, Number 1, February 1997) explored a free press.

In this journal, readers are invited to consider two aspects of religious life in America, the fundamental rules of which derive from that same First Amendment:

The constitutional guarantee to personal religious freedom in American society;

The remarkable religious vitality of a society which supports some 2000 different religious denominations, and in which more than 60 percent of the citizens can be found at least once a month in one of the almost 500,000 churches, temples and mosques which dot the landscape.

A speech by President Bill Clinton begins our explorations. It alludes to the founding fathers and their remarkable ideas and achievement. It also discusses the critical role of the Supreme Court of the United States in defining a balance in what are often conflicting claims of constitutional right or protection. The President s words provide an eloquent and personal statement about his view of religion in the U.S. There can be no better place for the reader to begin the exploration of this rich and important subject.