Americans traditionally observe Religious Freedom Day on January 16th. But as Obama issued his 23 executive actions on the 16th (in violation of our Constitution), today seemed a better day to share these wonderful resources.
The Statute of Liberty
By: Tony Perkins From: Family Research Council
If you've ever toured Monticello, then you know that Thomas Jefferson had very strong opinions about what his legacy should be.
He wanted to be remembered as the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence and as the "father" of the University of Virginia.
Both are inscribed on his tombstone, along with his second proudest achievement--authoring the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom.
That might surprise Americans today, who wrongly believe that our third President wanted to divorce the government of all religious expression. On the contrary, what Jefferson wrote in Fredericksburg some 230 years ago was such a groundbreaking defense of freedom that the men who drafted our Constitution relied on it for the framework of the First Amendment.
"No nation," the third President said years later, "has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be." Thomas Jefferson understood then, as we do now, that religious freedom is fundamental to every other freedom on earth. Maybe that's why, despite all of his other accomplishments, Jefferson considered the statute one of his greatest legislative feats.
For 20 years, Americans have set aside this day to honor the tradition of liberty that sets our nation apart. In a world where three out of every four people live in regions hostile to faith, America is still one of the brightest lights on freedom's shore.
But for how long, no one knows. Under this administration, Jefferson would barely recognize his country. The government, once the guardian of liberty, is now the aggressor. It tramples our consciences with health care mandates, silences our chaplains with radical marriage policy, and expels our pastors from public ceremonies.
In four years, we have become a people afraid to pray, teach, practice medicine, or even manage a business without fear of government backlash. When President Obama recognizes Religious Freedom Day, as he did this morning, he is doing so as the leader of the most oppressive administration in American history. Read more: The Statute of Liberty
He wanted to be remembered as the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence and as the "father" of the University of Virginia.
Both are inscribed on his tombstone, along with his second proudest achievement--authoring the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom.
That might surprise Americans today, who wrongly believe that our third President wanted to divorce the government of all religious expression. On the contrary, what Jefferson wrote in Fredericksburg some 230 years ago was such a groundbreaking defense of freedom that the men who drafted our Constitution relied on it for the framework of the First Amendment.
"No nation," the third President said years later, "has ever existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be." Thomas Jefferson understood then, as we do now, that religious freedom is fundamental to every other freedom on earth. Maybe that's why, despite all of his other accomplishments, Jefferson considered the statute one of his greatest legislative feats.
For 20 years, Americans have set aside this day to honor the tradition of liberty that sets our nation apart. In a world where three out of every four people live in regions hostile to faith, America is still one of the brightest lights on freedom's shore.
But for how long, no one knows. Under this administration, Jefferson would barely recognize his country. The government, once the guardian of liberty, is now the aggressor. It tramples our consciences with health care mandates, silences our chaplains with radical marriage policy, and expels our pastors from public ceremonies.
In four years, we have become a people afraid to pray, teach, practice medicine, or even manage a business without fear of government backlash. When President Obama recognizes Religious Freedom Day, as he did this morning, he is doing so as the leader of the most oppressive administration in American history. Read more: The Statute of Liberty
