[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 22, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING ZETA BETA TAU FRATERNITY AND ROGER WILLIAMS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 22, 2000

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I applaud Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, my 
brotherhood, for celebrating the life of Roger Williams, founder of the 
colony of Rhode Island, and a strong supporter of religious and 
political liberty.
  In 1631, clergyman Roger Williams, left England, a land where he was 
dubbed a nonconformist and was persecuted for his religious beliefs, 
and came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. Along with him 
came his wife and great wind of change, idealism and freedom. He would 
be called a troublemaker, because he believed that the royal charter 
did not justify taking land that belonged to the Native Americans and 
declared that people should not be punished for religious differences. 
In 1664, he published his most famous work, ``The Bloudy Tenent of 
Persecution'', which upheld his argument for the separation of church 
and state. In 1657, as president of the Rhode Island colony, he fought 
to provide refuge for Quakers who had been banished from other 
colonies, even though he disagreed with their religious teachings.
  Today, as a member of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, I join my brotherhood 
in remembering and recognizing Roger Williams as an early champion of 
democracy and religious freedom. As we struggle against religious 
intolerance throughout our world, we should look to men, such as Roger 
Williams, who stood for freedom, in a world of persecution.
  I am proud to be a member of the distinguished brotherhood of Zeta 
Beta Tau Fraternity, a organization of young men who are dedicating 
this day to the principles of tolerance, understanding, and brotherly 
love, by remembering Roger Williams.

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