Religious Freedom Day

President George W. Bush has proclaimed 16 January 2007 "Religious Freedom Day":

Each year on January 16, we celebrate Religious Freedom Day in commemoration of the passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom by the Virginia General Assembly, which occurred on this day in 1786. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, this historic law provided the inspiration and the framework for the religious freedom clauses in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution

If you read Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the move toward relativism is already very appartent. Mr. Bush's proclamation continues:

The religious freedom provisions of our Constitution -- the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause -- open the first of the ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. Because the Framers placed the guarantee of religious freedom before other cherished rights, religious liberty in America is often called the first freedom. The right to have religious beliefs and to freely practice such beliefs are among the most fundamental freedoms we possess. James Madison once said that "the Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is in its nature an unalienable right."

Our Founding Fathers recognized that religious freedom is a right we must protect with great vigilance. We must continue our efforts to uphold justice and tolerance and to oppose prejudice; and we must be resolved to countering any means that infringe on religious freedom.Our Founding Fathers failed to recognize religious freedom for those who did not necessarily share their beliefs: Catholics. For an excellent discussion of the anti-Catholic bias present throughout the history of the United States, see Philip Jenkins' work, The New Anti-Catholicsm: The Last Acceptable Prejudice. The proclamation continues:

Religious faith has inspired many of our fellow citizens to help build a better Nation. In America today, people of faith continue to wage a determined campaign to meet needs and fight suffering. Through the efforts of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, my Administration has been working to ensure that faith-inspired organizations do not face discrimination simply because of their religious orientation. I recently signed an Executive Order to ensure equal treatment for faith-based charities that are offering hope to those in need.

What about Catholic faith-based initiatives that morally cannot give contraception? They currently seem to be facing a great deal of discrimination. The proclamation continues:

As we celebrate the freedom of faith in America, we also recognize that there are many people around the world who do not enjoy such freedoms. The right to believe and express one's beliefs in words and practice is a right that should belong to all people. Through the Department of State's Office of International Religious Freedom, my Administration has been working to call attention to religious persecution and to encourage our allies, friends, and trading partners to provide and protect this fundamental human right for all people around the world. By working together to secure religious freedom around the world, we can create a better future for people of all faiths.

It is good to know the current Administration has been paying such close attention to the plight of Christians in places such as Turkey and Iraq. It was very kind of them to come to the defense of the Pope when his life was threatened. It was very good of them to do nothing to help the current situation regarding the Christians in Turkey and Iraq. It is also nice to know that we are working so diligently with only our allies. One has to ask: will we ever began to work with our enemies in this area? Another question must also be asked: will we ever realize that many of our enemies are our enemies because their religion cannot tolerate other religions? The proclamation continues:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2003, as Religious Freedom Day. I encourage all Americans to reflect on the great blessing of religious freedom and to endeavor to preserve this freedom for future generations, and to commemorate this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship.

Even with my above criticisms, I am grateful that Mr. Bush has taken the time to highlight the great importance of religious freedom through this action. Now if only people would pay attention. The proclamation concludes:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.