by Jorge Gomez • 3 minutes
On January 16, America celebrates National Religious Freedom Day!
Each year, the President issues a proclamation designating January 16th as a day to reflect on the first and most foundational liberty we have as Americans—the freedom to live out our faith.
Religious liberty is—and has always been—at the center of our country. The right to openly live out our faith is a defining part of America and why freedom has flourished for almost 250 years. We see this in the first settlers who came to the New World seeking to worship in peace and without the fear of state persecution. We see it in America’s Founders, who vigorously fought for and risked their lives to make sure we had a document that expressly protects our right to live in accordance with our beliefs and convictions.
America’s Founders put religious liberty as the first freedom in the first clause of the First Amendment. Why? Because without the freedom to worship and live out our faith, all other liberties—civil, economic and social—come crumbling down.
National Religious Freedom Day reminds us that we need that first freedom to be truly—and fully—free.
It’s also a day to reflect on the historic passing of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, a bill authored by Thomas Jefferson in 1786 stating that “all men shall be free to profess, and…maintain their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no way diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.” This state statute was a blueprint that inspired and led to the ratification of the First Amendment.
Additionally, this day brings to the fore the landmark Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), one of the most important pieces of federal law that protects our right to live out our faith. RFRA became law in 1993, the same year National Religious Freedom Day was first observed.
More than a celebration or day of observance, National Religious Freedom Day is also a call to action. On this day, we’re encouraging every American to seize a tremendous opportunity to restore faith and freedom in their communities.
Many don’t realize it, but there’s a seismic shift happening in favor of religious freedom. Thanks to several landmark victories at the U.S. Supreme Court, we’re witnessing the biggest positive change in our generation. Every American is experiencing more religious freedom today than at any time in the last 50 years.
For nearly half a century, public religious expression was silenced, censored and people of faith were far too often stripped of their constitutional rights. A slew of harmful Supreme Court decisions from the 1940s to the 1990s misinterpreted the law regarding public religious expression and distorted the original intent of the Constitution.
But the tide has begun to turn. Thanks to recent Supreme Court victories by First Liberty, prayer can return to public schools. Religious monuments that were stowed away can be brought back and placed on public land where everyone can see them. “In God We Trust” can be displayed in our schools and government buildings. Wherever faith has been muzzled, religious freedom can confidently be put back where it rightfully and legally belongs. It’s up to us to make that happen.
Through January and February, we are asking you to take the FaithBlazer “In God We Trust” Challenge and work with officials in your local community to place displays of our national motto in courthouses, city halls, on public vehicles and in schools.
Here’s how you can take part in this challenge:
If you plan to organize or participate in the FaithBlazer “In God We Trust” Challenge, we strongly encourage to contact us via email RFIA@firstliberty.org for guidance. We can help you create your plan to restore faith in your community.
This is an incredible time for religious liberty in America. God has created incredible new opportunities and graciously opened new doors for religious expression.
After removing major barriers and precedents against religious freedom, we now have incredible opportunities in the courtroom and beyond. And with God’s favor, together, we can keep bringing more and more victories that will guard religious liberty for you, your children and your grandchildren.
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