Conservativa

For this, I will break my rule against printing entire press releases. Attorney General Bob McDonnell calls us to remember the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, written by Thomas Jefferson.

“On this date two hundred twenty-two years ago, the Virginia General Assembly adopted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom,  the critical first step in guaranteeing freedom of religion for all citizens, in establishing the precedent for the First Amendment to the Constitution, and articulating for all time the belief that this right comes not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”

“As with our Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote this statute in a simple eloquence that reverberates today. This framer of American democracy was likewise the sculptor of the cornerstone of American religious liberty.”

“Across America today, citizens worship according to the dictates of their own consciences free from government interference because of the revolutionary action taken in Virginia. Around the world today, soldiers fight and die to extend this freedom to oppressed people.”

“This anniversary should call all Virginians to examine our shared history and the principles that form the foundation of our government, in order that religious freedom is expanded and preserved for future generations.”

We forget how fortunate we are to have this freedom. We should remember the freedom, and remember those who died to preserve it.

Text of the Statute here. Notes from the Virginia Historical Society here.

Photo details: the statue Memory, at the Virginia War Memorial. Canon EOS5D, ISO 400, 24mm, 1/320 at f/6.3.