his_j got it pretty much correct.

It's rationalized to sound as if it supports freedom of religion, but the groups use code words to transmit their real purpose, which as his_j noted, is the freedom to practice their religion their way.

I wish I had a better credentialed historian, but Tom Burns has said America is the only country founded solely on an ideal. Other countries are founded upon geographical locations, ethnic groups, historical accidents, religious groups, etc. That doesn't mean other's don't have their ideals, but it was the cause of our foundation. We have ideal at our core, but bringing the reality up to that ideal is a constant struggle for us, as with everybody.

Like everybody else, we have clay feet while we spout ideals from our mouths. We are very much a "Do as I say, not as I do" country. Bush spouts "Democracy" and "Human Rights" while he is busy stripping these things away from others.

A lot of the treads in the Vanilla section are people trying to find out the truth behind issues, and which of our politicians are honest or a bunch of crap.

And so goes the world.
TG