[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on Religious 
Freedom Day to celebrate the numerous faiths that people hold across 
this great Nation.
  Today, we commemorate the 232nd anniversary of the passing of a State 
law that has shaped and secured our important legacy on religious 
liberty.
  On January 16, 1786, the Virginia General Assembly passed the 
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. The bill, written by Thomas 
Jefferson, states: ``. . . all men shall be free to profess, and by 
argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of reli-
gion. . . . ''
  Just a few years later, this bill served as the inspiration for the 
First Amendment, which affirms our right to choose and exercise faith 
without government coercion or retaliation.
  Today, Americans from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds remain 
committed to the values of faith, honesty, integrity, and patriotism.
  Mr. Speaker, our Constitution and laws guarantee Americans the right 
not just to believe as they see fit, but to freely exercise their 
religion.
  We observe this day in our homes and schools and houses of worship 
because we have the freedom and the right to do so.

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