 He did not believe that South Africa would become a "non-racial society", but rather sought to build a "non-racist society" in which ethnic divisions remained; in his view "I do not believe in the existence of anything like a non-racial society in the literal sense of the word", citing the example of the United States and United Kingdom where there was no legal racial segregation but that distinct racial groups continued to exist.De Klerk accepted the principle of freedom of religion, although still believed that the state should promote Christianity.Glad and Blanton stated that de Klerk's "political choices were undergirded by self-confidence and commitment to the common good."