III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 27 

Affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right 

that is essential to a free society and is protected for all Americans 

by the text of the Constitution, and recognizing the 230th anniversary 

of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 19, 2016 

Mr. DAINES (for himself, Mr. HATCH, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. LEE, 

Mr. SASSE, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. RISCH, Mr. COTTON, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. 

CORNYN, Mr. BOOZMAN, and Mr. INHOFE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right that is essential to a free society 

and is protected for all Americans by the text of the 

Constitution, and recognizing the 230th anniversary of 

the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. 

Whereas American democracy is rooted in the fundamental 

truth that all are created equal, endowed by our Creator 

with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; 

Whereas few freedoms were more valued by those who settled 

this Nation than the freedom of conscience, prompting 


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Thomas Jefferson to declare in the Letter to New London Methodists, dated February 4, 1809, that ‘‘no provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than 

that which protects the rights of conscience against the 

enterprises of the civil authority’’; 

Whereas the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which 

was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and considered by him 

to be one of his greatest achievements, was enacted on 

January 16, 1786, and became the forerunner of the 

Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the 

United States Constitution; 

Whereas ‘‘the right to freedom of religion undergirds the very 

origin and existence of the United States’’, a freedom 

which was established by our Nation’s founders ‘‘in law, 

as a fundamental right and as a pillar of our Nation’’, 

as noted in section 2 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; 

Whereas the role of religion in American society and public 

life has a long and robust tradition; 

Whereas those who have studied American democracy from 

an outside perspective, such as Alexis de Tocqueville, 

have noted that religion plays a central role in preserving 

our Government because it provides a moral base that is 

required for democracy to succeed; 

Whereas the Supreme Court has affirmed in Town of Greece 

v. Galloway that ‘‘people of many faiths may be united 

in a community of tolerance and devotion’’; 

Whereas the principle of religious freedom ‘‘has guided our 

Nation forward’’, as expressed by the 44th President of 

the United States in his Presidential Proclamation on 

Religious Freedom Day in 2011, and ‘‘is a universal 


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human right to be protected here at home and across the 

globe’’, as expressed by the 44th President of the United 

States on the same occassion in 2013; 

Whereas ‘‘Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right 

that must be upheld by every Nation and guaranteed by 

every Government’’, as expressed by the 42nd President 

of the United States in his Presidential Proclamation on 

Religious Freedom Day in 1999; 

Whereas the First Amendment protects the right of individuals to freely express and act on their religious beliefs, 

as well as the freedom of all individuals to not be coerced 

to profess or act on a religious belief to which they do 

not adhere; 

Whereas ‘‘our laws and institutions should not impede or 

hinder but rather should protect and preserve fundamental religious liberties’’, as expressed by the 42nd 

President of the United States in his remarks on signing 

the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993; 

Whereas for countless Americans, their faith is an integral 

part of every aspect of their daily lives, and is not limited 

to their homes, to houses of worship, or to doctrinal 

creeds; 

Whereas ‘‘religious faith has inspired many of our fellow citizens to help build a better Nation’’, where ‘‘people of 

faith continue to wage a determined campaign to meet 

needs and fight suffering’’, as expressed by the 43rd 

President of the United States in his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day in 2003; 

Whereas ‘‘from its birth to this day, the United States has 

prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored this 

heritage by standing for religious freedom and offering 


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refuge to those suffering religious persecution’’, as noted 

in section 2 of the International Religious Freedom Act 

of 1998; 

Whereas Thomas Jefferson noted in 1822 that the constitutional freedom of religion is ‘‘the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights’’, and also wrote in 1798 that 

each right encompassed in the First Amendment is dependent on the others, ‘‘thereby guarding in the same 

sentence, and under the same words, the freedom of religion, of speech, and of the press: insomuch, that whatever violated either, throws down the sanctuary which 

covers the others’’; 

Whereas religious freedom ‘‘has been integral to the preservation and development of the United States’’, and ‘‘the 

free exercise of religion goes hand in hand with the preservation of our other rights’’, as expressed by the 41st 

President of the United States in his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day in 1993; and 

Whereas we ‘‘continue to proclaim the fundamental right of 

all peoples to believe and worship according to their own 

conscience, to affirm their beliefs openly and freely, and 

to practice their faith without fear or intimidation’’, as 

expressed by the 42nd President of the United States in 

his Presidential Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day 

in 1998; Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) honors the 230th anniversary of the passage 

4 of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on 

5 Religious Freedom Day, January 16, 2016; and 


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1 (2) affirms that— 

2 (A) religious freedom includes the right to 

3 live, work, associate, and worship in accordance 

4 with one’s beliefs for people of any faith or of 

5 no faith; 

6 (B) all Americans can be unified in sup7 porting religious freedom, regardless of dif8 fering individual beliefs, because it is a funda9 mental human right; and 

10 (C) ‘‘the American people will remain for11 ever unshackled in matters of faith’’, as ex12 pressed by the 44th President of the United 

13 States in his Presidential Proclamation on Reli14 gious Freedom Day in 2012. 

Æ 


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