New JerseyThe Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom is a statement about both freedom of conscience and the principle of separation of church and state. Written by Thomas Jefferson aided by James Madison who played an important role in its passage. The statute disestablished the Church of England in Virginia and guaranteed freedom of religion to people of all religious faiths, including Catholics and Jews as well as members of all Protestant denominations. It was passed by the Virginia General Assembly on January 16, 1786 and is considered the forerunner of the first amendment protection of religious freedom known as the free exercise clause in the U.S. Constitution.
Jefferson had argued in the Declaration of Independence that men "are
Jefferson had argued in the Declaration of Independence that men "are