Religious Freedom Day, January 16, 2009
This Friday January 16th is Religious Freedom Day. It commemorates the passage of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom in 1786. Each year, the president calls upon Americans to "observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship."
Our country was founded by people seeking religious freedom and the founders of our government felt strongly about this issue. The men who drafted the U.S. Constitution leaned heavily on the Virginia statute in establishing the First Amendment's guarantee of religious
freedom.
However, religious freedom is threatened in our current culture by those who misinterpret the phrase "separation of church and state." Unfortunately, "separation of church and state" has evolved into more of a "separation of Christianity and state," while other worldviews and religions are welcomed. This trend is particularly apparent in public schools. Many teachers and administrators do not understand the U.S. Department of Education's guidelines on the appropriate and lawful place religious expression can have at school.
Click here for a link to the Religious Freedom Day website and for ways to celebrate this day in schools and our community.
Click here for a link to the Gateways to a Better Education website.