[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 119, 109th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 7864--JAN. 14, 2005

[[Page 3697]]
119 STAT. 3697

Proclamation 7864 of January 14, 2005
Religious Freedom Day, 2005
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
George Washington wrote, ``The liberty enjoyed by the people of these
States, of worshipping Almighty God agreeably to their consciences, is
not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their
rights.''; On Religious Freedom Day, Americans commemorate the passage
of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786, which helped set
the course for freedom of religion to be included in the First Amendment
to our Constitution.
Our Founding Fathers knew the importance of freedom of religion to a
stable and lasting Union. Our Constitution protects individuals' rights
to worship as they choose. Today, we continue to welcome the important
contributions of people of faith in our society. We reject religious
bigotry in every form, striving for a society that honors the life and
faith of every person. As we maintain the vitality of a pluralistic
society, we work to ensure equal treatment of faith-based organizations
and people of faith.
As the United States advances the cause of liberty, we remember that
freedom is not America's gift to the world, but God's gift to each man
and woman in this world. This truth drives our efforts to help people
everywhere achieve freedom of religion and establish a better, brighter,
and more peaceful future for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2005, as
Religious Freedom Day. I encourage all Americans to reflect on the great
blessing of religious freedom, to endeavor to preserve this freedom for
future generations, and to commemorate this day through appropriate
events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH