The American Party emerged in the mid-1850s to represent Protestants and to counter the Democratic Party, which was increasingly controlled by Catholic Irish.

The orange portion of the flag of Ireland, invented in 1848, represents Irish Protestants, who were grateful for their rescue by William III of England in 1689-91.

Leaders of unionist parties representing Protestants in Northern Ireland said the agreement was a "fudge" that provided no assurances that the I.R.A. would renounce violence completely.

The first cards played, by the Social Democratic Labor Party, which mostly represents Catholics, and the Ulster Unionist Party, representing Protestants, were face-up general approval of the new proposals.

Many mainstream religious groups, including those representing Protestants, Catholics and Jews, have criticized the ruling and a number have filed briefs on behalf of the Santeria group.

Blanshard then represented Protestants and Others United for Separation of Church and State, now called Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The British Government is trying to get political parties representing Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland to begin negotiations aimed at returning a large degree of self-government to the province.

By contrast, a letter this week from the Council of Christian Churches, representing Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Protestants, warned that any law banning the Islamic head scarf "would be felt as discriminatory."

A former missionary in South America, Dr. Taylor joined the association in 1944, two years after it was formed to represent fundamentalist Protestants.