Bush declares Jan. 16 Religious Freedom Day

Published: 2007-01-12

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President George W. Bush has declared Jan. 16 Religious Freedom Day 2007 to commemorate the passage of the 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom written by Thomas Jefferson. Each year, since 1993, the U.S. presidents have acknowledged Religious Freedom Day and asked Americans to "observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools and places of worship." The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom stopped the practice of taxing people to pay for the support of the local clergy and it protected the civil rights of people to express their religious beliefs without facing discrimination. In the Jan. 11 proclamation for this year's Religious Freedom Day, Bush noted that for centuries people have come to America to worship freely. "Today our citizens profess many different faiths, and we welcome every religion. Yet people in many countries live without the freedom to worship as they choose and some face persecution for their beliefs," the president said.

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