Oklahoma AU Statement of Purpose Americans United for Separation of Church and State proudly supports and defends the right of citizens to choose and live according to their own convictions, whether religious or non-religious. It traces that basic freedom to a tradition founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Roger Williams, and enshrined in the First Amendment. It venerates the principle that religion is too important to be entrusted to government and encourages pluralism, tolerance, and a public life in which we the people interact on the basis of equal worth and mutual respect. Thus, Americans United considers separation of church and state a positive force in American society, a principle that encourages full participation among all people, burdens no one for following their conscience, and has encouraged a flowering of religious variety and vitality unequaled in today's world.