Freedom of Religion (Great American Court Cases)  Religious
Belief  Among the unique characteristics of being human is the
ability to create and communicate abstract thoughts such as
religious beliefs. For much of human history religion has served
as a means to socially unify individuals into groups. Early in
the human experience, religion likely served to explain natural
events and create order out of the world. The doctrine of
salvation evolved based on the belief that individuals are in
danger, either physically or spiritually, from which they must
be saved. Religion thus served to order and regulate peoples'
lives in addition to defining their place in the natural world.
Religion has also served as an expression of a community's moral
values and collective beliefs. Religious doctrines explain how
the world is and how it should be.  Through the Constitution the
country's founders created a world in which religion could
flourish, but not dominate social order. But, at the time the
Constitution was drafted,