Church State seperation: a proposed solution

This article from the New York Times is one of the most reasonable pieces of discussion I have seen on the topic of the tension between secularism and religion in America in quite some time, certainly more reasonable than any discussion that I have seen on television.

The author argues for a compromise between greater restriction of the use of public money for religious purposes and allowing more religion to enter into public debate:

Despite the gravity of the problem, I believe there is an answer. Put simply, it is this: offer greater latitude for religious speech and symbols in public debate, but also impose a stricter ban on state financing of religious institutions and activities.