The first freedom protected by the First Amendment is freedom of religion. Freedom of religion is different and distinct from freedom of speech. It is not just freedom of conscience. The First Amendment protects religious institutions from the state. The worst political outcome is tyranny and one way to prevent tyranny is to have different and independent centers of authority.
Religion is one such center.
Religion and spirituality are at their best when they act in resistance. The action was considered an inappropriate intrusion of religious belief into public debate. Carter argues it is possible to be both a person of faith and in public office. Carter contends that Liberals cannot, on the one hand, argue that religious leaders have no business becoming involved in public policy issues, when they did not complain when religious leaders supported positions they favored. There was no claim by Liberals that religions should mind their own business when the Catholic Church in the 1950s threatened to excommunicate public officials who supported segregation.