Honors the 230th anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on Religious Freedom Day.
Affirms that:
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 108 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 108
Affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human
right that is essential to a free society and is protected for all
Americans by the text of the Constitution, and recognizing the 230th
anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 13, 2016
Mr. Forbes (for himself, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Goodlatte,
and Mr. Fortenberry) submitted the following concurrent resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human
right that is essential to a free society and is protected for all
Americans by the text of the Constitution, and recognizing the 230th
anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom.
Whereas American democracy is rooted in the fundamental truth that all are
created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
Whereas few freedoms were more valued by those who settled this Nation than the
freedom of conscience, prompting Thomas Jefferson to declare in the
Letter to New London Methodists, dated Feb. 4, 1809, that ``no provision
in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects
the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil
authority'';
Whereas the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which was drafted by Thomas
Jefferson and considered by him to be one of his greatest achievements,
was enacted on January 16, 1786, and became the forerunner of the Free
Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution;
Whereas ``the right to freedom of religion undergirds the very origin and
existence of the United States'', a freedom which was established by our
Nation's founders ``in law, as a fundamental right and as a pillar of
our Nation'', as noted in section 2 of the International Religious
Freedom Act of 1998;
Whereas those who have studied American democracy from an outside perspective,
such as Alexis de Tocqueville, have noted that religion plays a central
role in preserving our government because it provides a moral base that
is required for democracy to succeed;
Whereas the Supreme Court has affirmed in Town of Greece v. Galloway that
``people of many faiths may be united in a community of tolerance and
devotion'';
Whereas the principle of religious freedom ``has guided our Nation forward'', as
expressed by President Barack Obama in his Presidential Proclamation on
Religious Freedom Day in 2011, and ``is a universal human right to be
protected here at home and across the globe'', as expressed by President
Obama on the same occasion in 2013;
Whereas through complementary clauses, the First Amendment protects the right of
individuals to freely and openly exercise their religious beliefs and
also prevents the State from establishing and coercing citizens towards
a particular religious creed;
Whereas ``our laws and institutions should not impede or hinder but rather
should protect and preserve fundamental religious liberties'', as
expressed by President William Jefferson Clinton in his remarks on
signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993;
Whereas for countless Americans, their faith is an integral part of every aspect
of their daily lives, and is not limited to their homes, to houses of
worship, or to doctrinal creeds;
Whereas ``religious faith has inspired many of our fellow citizens to help build
a better Nation'', where ``people of faith continue to wage a determined
campaign to meet needs and fight suffering'', as expressed by President
George W. Bush in his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day
in 2003;
Whereas ``from its birth to this day, the United States has prized this legacy
of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious
freedom and offering refuge to those suffering religious persecution'',
as noted in section 2 of the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998;
Whereas Thomas Jefferson noted in 1822 that the constitutional freedom of
religion is ``the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights'', and
also wrote in 1798 that each right encompassed in the First Amendment is
dependent on the others, ``thereby guarding in the same sentence, and
under the same words, the freedom of religion, of speech, and of the
press: insomuch, that whatever violated either, throws down the
sanctuary which covers the others'';
Whereas religious freedom ``has been integral to the preservation and
development of the United States'', and ``the free exercise of religion
goes hand in hand with the preservation of our other rights'', as
expressed by President George H.W. Bush in his Presidential Proclamation
on Religious Freedom Day in 1993; and
Whereas we ``continue to proclaim the fundamental right of all peoples to
believe and worship according to their own conscience, to affirm their
beliefs openly and freely, and to practice their faith without fear or
intimidation'', as expressed by President William Jefferson Clinton in
his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day in 1998: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) honors the 230th anniversary of the passage of the
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on Religious Freedom
Day; and
(2) affirms that--
(A) religious freedom includes the right to live,
work, associate, and worship in accordance with one's
beliefs for people of any faith or of no faith;
(B) all Americans can be unified in supporting
religious freedom, regardless of differing individual
beliefs, because it is a fundamental human right; and
(C) ``the American people will remain forever
unshackled in matters of faith'', as expressed by
President Barack Obama in his Presidential Proclamation
on Religious Freedom Day in 2012.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
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