[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SENSE OF SENATE RELATIVE TO LOUISVILLE FESTIVAL OF FAITHS

  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 274 and 
that the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 274) to express the sense of the 
     Senate that the Louisville Festival of Faiths should be 
     commended and should serve as a model for similar festivals 
     in other communities throughout the United States.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
and preamble be agreed to, en bloc, and that the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table, without intervening action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 274) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                              S. Res. 274

       Whereas a Festival of Faiths celebrating the diversity of 
     religion has been held in Louisville, Kentucky, in the month 
     of November of each of the last 3 years;
       Whereas the Louisville Festival of Faiths has provided an 
     opportunity for representatives of different faiths to 
     communicate with each other and learn about each other's 
     heritage, experiences, and beliefs,
       Whereas more than 60 faiths have participated in the 
     Louisville Festival of Faiths over the past 3 years;
       Whereas the freedom to practice religion in diverse ways is 
     a principle that the United States was founded on and one 
     that the United States has embraced throughout its history;
       Whereas religious diversity, in addition to its other 
     benefits, expands the perspectives and experiences available 
     to this Nation as a whole;
       Whereas the communication of diverse perspectives and 
     experiences between representatives of different religions 
     can enrich the lives of such individuals and can assist such 
     individuals in developing an appreciation of the commonality 
     between different religions;
       Whereas such communication can also diminish the potential 
     for conflict between religious groups at a time when the 
     dangers of religious conflict pose increasingly serious 
     problems throughout the world; and
       Whereas the Louisville Festival of Faiths experience can be 
     replicated without great difficulty in other communities: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     Louisville Festival of Faiths--
       (1) should be commended for its concept and its 
     achievements to date; and
       (2) should serve as a model for similar festivals in other 
     communities throughout the United States.

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