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I'm not a member of any faith community, and I think faith is a deeply personal issue that individuals should deal with in their private lives.

Faith is personal if it's to be real.

I've long been really intrigued with what is the... proper role of faith and religion in public life.

There is an increasing push to compartmentalize faith separately from our life in the public square - and it's not possible - at least, it's not possible if we continue the American tradition of true individual freedom, which also implies individual responsibility. Without an objective moral standard, that's not possible.

I certainly do not support excluding faith from public life.

Of course, my faith has a lot to do with being able to be public without being a public nuisance.

To restore the American experiment in democratic self-government, religious believers need to redouble their civic efforts. For without our active participation in politics, the government will continue to trample on our rights. The Constitution does not prevent people of faith from being active in politics.

Men and women motivated by faith have every right and obligation to bring their belief and commitment to the public debate. However, that is very different from the governmental establishment of religion that our founders warned against and our constitution prohibits.