There is no denying that the United States of America, unlike its parent, does not have an established Christian Church and that all are free to refrain or participate in religion as they see fit.

The text in question appears in Article 11.

According to Frank Lambert, Professor of History at Purdue University, the assurances in Article 11 were "intended to allay the fears of the Muslim state by insisting that religion would not govern how the treaty was interpreted and enforced. John Adams and the Senate made clear that the pact was between two sovereign states, not between two religious powers."