Alan M. Dershowitz

Alan M. Dershowitz is a law professor at Harvard Law School and a prolific author whose books include The Genesis of Justice: 10 Stories of Biblical Injustice That Led to the 10 Commandments and The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century. In the following viewpoint, he contends that millions of Americans who are religious skeptics or nonbelievers are afraid to make their views known for fear of being considered immoral and unfit for public office. The result is that religious nonbelievers who openly express their views are accorded a second-class status, something that Dershowitz contends is unfair and that goes against the American ideal of religious freedom.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How is Europe different from the United States in religious belief and expression, according to Dershowitz...