Religious Freedom Day Celebrated by Americans
January 16th is Proclaimed a Day of Observence by the President
Jan 16, 2009
Each year since 1993, the President of the United States (U.S.) has proclaimed January 16 to be Religious Freedom Day. It calls upon Americans to observe the day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools and places of worship. As much of the world experiences struggles and wars based on different religious beliefs, each year a U.S. President reminds the citizens of this civil liberty which is the right of every American.
The History of Religious Freedom Day
Thomas Jefferson drafted the legislation, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, which was passed on January 16, 1786. He considered it one of his greatest achievements. It stopped the practice of taxing people to pay for the support of the local clergy, and it protected the civil rights of people to express their religious beliefs without suffering discrimination. The men who drafted the U.S. Constitution leaned heavily on Jefferson's statute in establishing the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom.
The Issues of Religious Expression
Issues of religious expression often arise in public schools because educators and parents are concerned about the balance of free expression of religion and endorsement of a particular religion. The U.S. Department of Education has established guidelines regarding students' freedom of religious expression. It does not require educators and administrators to acknowledge the day by creating a parade representing the various religions in the community.
Religious Freedom Day is not meant to be a "celebrate-our-diversity day." Freedom means the freedom to respectfully disagree. Religious Freedom Day is first and foremost a time to acknowledge this important civil liberty.
Presidential Proclamations
Every U.S. President since 1993 has issued his own Religious Freedom Day Proclamation. In 1995 and 1998, President Bill Clinton directed the U.S. Department of Education to issue guidelines clarifying students' religious liberties. He said that "I believe the best ways we can help our schools to do this (learn about the communities) is by supporting students' rights to voluntarily practice their religious beliefs...." In 1999 he said "Americans are a deeply religious people, and our right to worship as we choose, to follow our own personal beliefs, is the source of much of our Nation's strength."
As much of the world experiences religious struggles, Americans with divergent beliefs, Christian, Jews, Muslims and a wide variety of followings, enjoy the right to practice whichever religion they choose and to celebrate it whereever they may prefer, be it a church, a mosque or a synagogue.
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