Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago today, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom was passed, a landmark measure that ended the state-established church in Virginia. This statute laid the foundation for protecting the rights of conscience for all and was a pivotal step in shaping the freedoms we cherish today.
Building on this principle, the Founding Fathers included the rights of religious conscience in the federal Constitution. Jefferson strongly emphasized the importance of these rights in his writings, declaring:
No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience.
Our rulers can have no authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never submitted, we could not submit. We are answerable for them to our God.
As we observe this year's Religious Freedom Day, let us celebrate the enduring legacy of religious liberty and conscience. These rights, championed by Jefferson and other Founders, remain a cornerstone of our nation's identity.
