Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 103 Part 3.djvu/1032

 103 STAT. 3100 PROCLAMATION 6029—SEPT. 27, 1989 PFOclamation 6029 of September 27, 1989 ' Religious Freedom Week, 1989. By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Our Nation's commitment to the principle of religious liberty has not only been enshrined in law but also faithfully upheld by generations of Americans. The first men and women to settle in America came to this country in search of the opporttmity to worship God freely. Since then, this country has been a haven for millions of people seeking refuge from religious persecution. Indeed, in our pliu-alistic society, where the adherents of different religions must live together along with others who profess no religion at all, toleration has been a practical necessity as well as a moral imperative. This week, we acknowledge the impor- ' tance of religious freedom and tolerance to each American and to our entire Nation. The most celebrated guarantee of religious liberty in U.S. law is con- tained in the First Amendment to the Constitution, which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Yet even before the First Amend- ment was written, the Constitution provided that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." The leaders who shaped our system of gov- ernment were men of great faith and foresight—and they recognized the various dangers government could pose to individual liberty and the free exercise of religious beliefs. Before the Constitution was drafted, the State of Virginia provided, in a statute drafted by Thomas Jefferson, "that all men shall be free to pro- fess, and by argiunent to maintain their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities." Jefferson considered his authorship of this statute so im- portant that he chose to have it noted in his epitaph. Throughout the history of the United States, the free exercise of reli- gion has contributed not only to the welfare of individual believers but also to the sfrength of our Nation. The American people's faith in God—^unencumbered by legal restrictions and imtainted by government interference—has been a powerful force for maintaining high standards of morality and justice in our society. Because bigotry and indifference pose an ever-present danger to religious liberty everywhere, toleration must be for us not just a matter of legal decree binding the government, but a matter of moral conviction enjoining each of us to respect the rights and beliefs of others. Tragically, in many nations—especially those that suffer under the dark shadow of totalitarian rule—the rights of believers are systematically denied. And in too many countries around the world, animosities and hafreds often lead to civil imrest or violence. Thus, we Americans should be thankful for the religious freedom we so enjoy and also remain fully committed to defending this fundamental human right any time, any place, it is threatened or denied.

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