The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees freedom from religion.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" Congress (and by 14th amendment expansion to all US government) guarantees the rights of the people to be free from religion _imposed by the state_. Many people fail to understand that the bill of rights are specifically crafted to protect the people from the state. Many believe "freedom from religion" to contend that the rights of the people are to be infringed upon by the government, keeping people separated from their religions. However this is a strawman and your freedom of religion in such a case would be infringed. My opponent contends that "[t]he only freedom 'from' religion you have is to walk away from proselytizers and retreat to your own property; and to not associate with religious individuals." -- This is categorically false. I have the freedom to not have the state infringe upon my religious rights by forcing on to me a religious opinion I do not accept. The wall of separation between church and state prevents the state from infringing your freedom of religion and or your freedom from religion. The government of the United States can neither restrict your religious exercises nor have you to engage in religious exercises against your will. The idea that freedom from religion is freedom from the religion of other people is terribly naive. You have freedom from religion being force on you from the state. The Supreme Court is tasked with interpreting and understanding the meaning and intent of the Constitution, if you don't believe me you should still be inclined to believe their interpretations as they are the baseline understanding of your rights. Everson v. Board of Education's decision has clarified the positions of religious rights for the last 60 years: The "establishment of religion" clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force nor influence a person to go to or to remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion. No person can be punished for entertaining or professing religious beliefs or disbeliefs, for church attendance or non-attendance. No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion. Neither a state nor the Federal Government can, openly or secretly, participate in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect "a wall of separation between church and State." The Federal Government cannot "force him to profess a belief or disbelief in religion". Taxes cannot be "levied to support religious activities" nor can the state or Federal Government "participate in the affairs of any religious organization". -- The government cannot push religion nor prevent it. The government cannot infringe upon your freedom of religion nor your freedom from religion. Your rights guaranteed by the bill of rights are to protect you from the government which must, by law, show no favoritism to any religion. My opponent is correct that initially there were state churches and that was not strictly forbidden by the Constitution until the 14th amendment increased the powers of the federal government and extended the bill of rights protections to restrict the powers of government at all levels of government. This was because the southern states were routinely violating the rights of southern blacks and the the restrictions on government power at the federal level were expanded to be a restriction on all government power (rightly so). So that neither the Federal Government nor the state governments could violate your right. However, even if the bill of rights was not expanded to apply to the state and local levels you would still have a first amendment freedom of religion and from religion right at the federal level. If not for the 14th amendment you could be forced to pray to Allah at the state level against your will with threat of force but not at the federal level. The government due to the first amendment has no right to enforce any establishment of religion upon you. You have freedom from religion.