Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the “Father” of our Constitution, had important views of the freedoms of man that ultimately helped to shape the rights that we have today, including the right of religious freedom.
Jefferson believed that all people should have the freedom to chose their own religion within the United States. He thought that the freedom to choose one’s own religion is an unalienable natural right that all men are born with and that to remove religious freedom would violate that natural right. This is seen in his writing “Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom ”, in which Jefferson states the following: “ ...do declare, that the rights hereby asserted, are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act shall be an infringement of natural right.” Madison thought that government could not truly force man to follow a religion. Madison believed that religion can only be followed through true conviction and belief, not through the violence and threatening of a government. These beliefs are what caused both of these men …show more content…
Both believed that religious freedom is a natural right that each and every person is born with, and as such, should remain intact and untouched by the power of the government. They also both believed that a government cannot truly force a person to convert to a certain religion because people do not believe in something without the conviction that comes with belief. As Madison said in “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments”, “that Religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence”. This quote shows Madison’s view that a government cannot force belief through violence, but only through true conviction and reason by the
Jefferson believed that all people should have the freedom to chose their own religion within the United States. He thought that the freedom to choose one’s own religion is an unalienable natural right that all men are born with and that to remove religious freedom would violate that natural right. This is seen in his writing “Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom ”, in which Jefferson states the following: “ ...do declare, that the rights hereby asserted, are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act shall be an infringement of natural right.” Madison thought that government could not truly force man to follow a religion. Madison believed that religion can only be followed through true conviction and belief, not through the violence and threatening of a government. These beliefs are what caused both of these men …show more content…
Both believed that religious freedom is a natural right that each and every person is born with, and as such, should remain intact and untouched by the power of the government. They also both believed that a government cannot truly force a person to convert to a certain religion because people do not believe in something without the conviction that comes with belief. As Madison said in “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments”, “that Religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence”. This quote shows Madison’s view that a government cannot force belief through violence, but only through true conviction and reason by the