One of the most long-standing culture wars debates is the question of what role the government should play in fostering moral behavior in individuals and communities. Although the government often intervenes in matters of morality— when, for example, it passes laws that prohibit obviously harmful behaviors—disagreement abounds when issues such as divorce, teen pregnancy, abortion, or homosexuality are targeted for government regulation.

In 1998, for example, a board established by the Chicago Divinity School and the Institute for American Values released a report entitled A Call to Civil Society: Why Democracy Needs Moral Truths. Prompted by concerns over America’s declining moral standards, the board’s goals were to “rediscover the existence of transmittable moral truth” and offer proposals to strengthen the traditional family and promote “cultural and moral renewal.” The report recommended enacting...