[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 379 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 379

  Reaffirming the first amendment right to freely exercise religious 
         beliefs without the fear of governmental condemnation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2000

  Mr. Graham submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Reaffirming the first amendment right to freely exercise religious 
         beliefs without the fear of governmental condemnation.

Whereas the first amendment states that ``Congress shall make no law respecting 
        an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise 
        thereof'';
Whereas the practice and expression of religious beliefs without congressional 
        interference are a cherished freedom in our constitutional democracy;
Whereas it is imperative in our constitutional democracy that all major 
        political parties unite in defending and protecting the first amendment 
        religious rights of all Americans;
Whereas action taken by Congress to condemn any constitutionally protected 
        religious practice or belief will have a chilling effect and stifle the 
        religious freedoms that Americans enjoy;
Whereas the political act of congressional condemnation of religious beliefs or 
        practices would seriously undermine the spirit of the first amendment;
Whereas hundreds of thousands of Americans have fought and died around the world 
        under the banner of the United States to defend the right of all 
        Americans to practice their religious beliefs free from governmental 
        condemnation; and
Whereas the first amendment's function is to protect the religious freedoms of 
        those Americans who may find themselves in the minority regarding 
        religious practices and beliefs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) as an institution, reaffirms the rights of United 
        States citizens to hold religious beliefs and engage in 
        constitutionally protected religious practices free from 
        congressional condemnation;
            (2) affirms that the right to religious diversity in our 
        country is one of the fundamental precepts of the Constitution;
            (3) should pass no resolution condemning the right of any 
        group or individual to express his or her religious beliefs, 
        popular or unpopular, as protected by the first amendment, even 
        when those practices and beliefs are deemed to be offensive to 
        individual Members of Congress;
            (4) recognizes the constitutionally protected right of 
        religious groups to practice their religion without fear of 
        reprisal from Congress, even when individual Members of 
        Congress may be offended by such beliefs or practices;
            (5) recognizes that, more than 200 years after adoption of 
        the Constitution, Congress reaffirms that the wisdom of the 
        first amendment's protection of religious freedom rings as true 
        today as when the words were first penned; and
            (6) should never be tempted as a body politic to condemn 
        religious views, because to do so would lead to serious erosion 
        of religious freedom.
                                 <all>