[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 108 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 108

 Affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human 
  right that is essential to a free society and is protected for all 
 Americans by the text of the Constitution, and recognizing the 230th 
  anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious 
                                Freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2016

 Mr. Forbes (for himself, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Goodlatte, 
  and Mr. Fortenberry) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human 
  right that is essential to a free society and is protected for all 
 Americans by the text of the Constitution, and recognizing the 230th 
  anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious 
                                Freedom.

Whereas American democracy is rooted in the fundamental truth that all are 
        created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, 
        among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
Whereas few freedoms were more valued by those who settled this Nation than the 
        freedom of conscience, prompting Thomas Jefferson to declare in the 
        Letter to New London Methodists, dated Feb. 4, 1809, that ``no provision 
        in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects 
        the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil 
        authority'';
Whereas the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which was drafted by Thomas 
        Jefferson and considered by him to be one of his greatest achievements, 
        was enacted on January 16, 1786, and became the forerunner of the Free 
        Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States 
        Constitution;
Whereas ``the right to freedom of religion undergirds the very origin and 
        existence of the United States'', a freedom which was established by our 
        Nation's founders ``in law, as a fundamental right and as a pillar of 
        our Nation'', as noted in section 2 of the International Religious 
        Freedom Act of 1998;
Whereas those who have studied American democracy from an outside perspective, 
        such as Alexis de Tocqueville, have noted that religion plays a central 
        role in preserving our government because it provides a moral base that 
        is required for democracy to succeed;
Whereas the Supreme Court has affirmed in Town of Greece v. Galloway that 
        ``people of many faiths may be united in a community of tolerance and 
        devotion'';
Whereas the principle of religious freedom ``has guided our Nation forward'', as 
        expressed by President Barack Obama in his Presidential Proclamation on 
        Religious Freedom Day in 2011, and ``is a universal human right to be 
        protected here at home and across the globe'', as expressed by President 
        Obama on the same occasion in 2013;
Whereas through complementary clauses, the First Amendment protects the right of 
        individuals to freely and openly exercise their religious beliefs and 
        also prevents the State from establishing and coercing citizens towards 
        a particular religious creed;
Whereas ``our laws and institutions should not impede or hinder but rather 
        should protect and preserve fundamental religious liberties'', as 
        expressed by President William Jefferson Clinton in his remarks on 
        signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993;
Whereas for countless Americans, their faith is an integral part of every aspect 
        of their daily lives, and is not limited to their homes, to houses of 
        worship, or to doctrinal creeds;
Whereas ``religious faith has inspired many of our fellow citizens to help build 
        a better Nation'', where ``people of faith continue to wage a determined 
        campaign to meet needs and fight suffering'', as expressed by President 
        George W. Bush in his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day 
        in 2003;
Whereas ``from its birth to this day, the United States has prized this legacy 
        of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious 
        freedom and offering refuge to those suffering religious persecution'', 
        as noted in section 2 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
        1998;
Whereas Thomas Jefferson noted in 1822 that the constitutional freedom of 
        religion is ``the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights'', and 
        also wrote in 1798 that each right encompassed in the First Amendment is 
        dependent on the others, ``thereby guarding in the same sentence, and 
        under the same words, the freedom of religion, of speech, and of the 
        press: insomuch, that whatever violated either, throws down the 
        sanctuary which covers the others'';
Whereas religious freedom ``has been integral to the preservation and 
        development of the United States'', and ``the free exercise of religion 
        goes hand in hand with the preservation of our other rights'', as 
        expressed by President George H.W. Bush in his Presidential Proclamation 
        on Religious Freedom Day in 1993; and
Whereas we ``continue to proclaim the fundamental right of all peoples to 
        believe and worship according to their own conscience, to affirm their 
        beliefs openly and freely, and to practice their faith without fear or 
        intimidation'', as expressed by President William Jefferson Clinton in 
        his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day in 1998: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) honors the 230th anniversary of the passage of the 
        Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on Religious Freedom 
        Day; and
            (2) affirms that--
                    (A) religious freedom includes the right to live, 
                work, associate, and worship in accordance with one's 
                beliefs for people of any faith or of no faith;
                    (B) all Americans can be unified in supporting 
                religious freedom, regardless of differing individual 
                beliefs, because it is a fundamental human right; and
                    (C) ``the American people will remain forever 
                unshackled in matters of faith'', as expressed by 
                President Barack Obama in his Presidential Proclamation 
                on Religious Freedom Day in 2012.
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