Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 6.djvu/188

 114 STAT. 3244 PROCLAMATION 7267—JAN. 14, 2000 Pirmades National Monument Boundary Enlargement SOOO 0 sow 10000 FMI Proclamation 7267 of January 14, 2000 Religious Freedom Day, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation On January 16, 1786, the Virginia legislature enacted a law whose impact is still felt around the world today. Authored by Thomas Jefferson and introduced by James Madison, this act affirmed religious freedom as one of the "natural rights of mankind" and pledged that none would "suffer on account of his religious opinions or beliefs." Recognizing the fundamental importance of this right to human dignity, our founders modeled the First Amendment to our Constitution on the Virginia

�