Religious freedom is central to the American system of liberty.
Our nation's founders erected the twin pillars of this freedom, guaranteeing the free exercise of religion and prohibiting the establishment of religion by the state, in the very First Amendment to the Constitution. Throughout our history, men and women have come to this nation to escape religious persecution and secure this precious freedom. In the four and one-half years I have served as president, I have been proud of the efforts of my administration, in tandem with a broad coalition of individuals and organizations, to support freedom of religion. In 1993, I was proud to reaffirm the rightful and historic place of religion throughout our society when I signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which continues to protect the exercise of religion from being inappropriately burdened by federal agencies, entities, and institutions. In 1995, I was similarly proud to support the protection of appropriate religious expression in the public schools when I directed the secretary of education to issue guidance to public school districts on the extent of permissible prayer and other speech of a religious character.