[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, yesterday, my colleague and friend, Senator 
Santorum, hosted a bipartisan, bicameral event to evaluate the status 
of religious freedom in America and around the world. I thank Senator 
Santorum for his passionate commitment to the cause of religious 
liberty, as well as my colleagues Norm Coleman and Sam Brownback for 
their participation.
  Religious freedom is the bedrock of our founding principles. Indeed, 
it is the very first clause of the first amendment of the U.S. 
Constitution:
  ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, 
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.''
  As George Washington wrote in his letter to the United Baptist 
Chamber of Virginia, May of 1789: ``Every man, conducting himself as a 
good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious 
opinions, ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity according to 
the dictates of his own conscience.''
  We are blessed to live in a country built on freedom of conscience, 
thought, and action. Waves and waves of hopeful aspirants have flocked 
to these shores to exercise this basic human right.
  But in every era, religious freedom, like all other freedoms, has 
come under challenge. And in every era, we have been called upon to 
promote and defend religious liberty here at home and in faraway lands. 
We do so as a matter of principle. Freedom of conscience and religion 
is the most basic, fundamental human right. No person should be 
persecuted, imprisoned or harmed because of their personal faith. But 
as 9/11 showed us with such terrible force, we also do so as a matter 
of national security.
  I thank Senator Santorum for bringing this topic front and center to 
Capitol Hill yesterday, along with his distinguished panelists.
  We heard from the eminent U.N. Ambassador John Bolton on the gains 
that are being made around the globe. We also heard from courageous 
dissidents, including Dr. Wafa Sultan and Eli El-Khoury, who have 
suffered for their faith and been persecuted for their convictions.
  America must remain ever vigilant to the threats, challenges, and 
opportunities we face. From North Korea to the troubled Middle East, 
for millions of people, religious liberty is still a fragile hope they 
look to us to nurture.
  It is our duty as Americans and our honor as sons and daughters of 
the greatest revolution and the ongoing American experiment in ordered 
liberty and religious freedom.

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