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== Conservative Interpretation ==
== Conservative Interpretation ==
{{cquote|'''To those who cite the First Amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I just say: ''The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny.'' --- [[Ronald Reagan]]'''}}
Liberals often focus on the "[[Establishment clause]]", arguing that because the federal government cannot endorse or establish a religion, the state must remain neutral, or even hostile towards religion. However, liberals often overlook the clause explicitly allowing for the free exercise of religion, also known as the [[Free Exercise Clause]]. Conservatives argue that this clause can be interpreted to allow much more leeway to the majority of religious Americans than liberals currently allow, and that it provides legislators with great flexibility in supporting the ends of Christian faith, as long as all other religious denominations are equally supported. The fact that [[Congress]] may pass no law establishing or respecting a particular Christian denomination provides the federal government with the freedom to support a variety of Judaeo-Christian ventures, notably the faith-based initiatives enacted under [[President Bush]].
Liberals often focus on the "[[Establishment clause]]", arguing that because the federal government cannot endorse or establish a religion, the state must remain neutral, or even hostile towards religion. However, liberals often overlook the clause explicitly allowing for the free exercise of religion, also known as the [[Free Exercise Clause]]. Conservatives argue that this clause can be interpreted to allow much more leeway to the majority of religious Americans than liberals currently allow, and that it provides legislators with great flexibility in supporting the ends of Christian faith, as long as all other religious denominations are equally supported. The fact that [[Congress]] may pass no law establishing or respecting a particular Christian denomination provides the federal government with the freedom to support a variety of Judaeo-Christian ventures, notably the faith-based initiatives enacted under [[President Bush]].