The Virginia Statute For Religious Freedom Of Religion

Freedom of Religion has been a topic of great debate in America, beginning with the settlers seeking religious freedom. Away from the British governments grasp in the New World the colonists were free to worship as they chose. In 1720 there was a decline in spirituality and the religious community was beginning to grow in diversity. Fifty years later, in 1770 the First Great Awakening occurred, opening discussion between the different religious sects. Religion reawakened and freedom of religion became more important as a natural right. Just as in the past, today we ask ourselves this question. How do we define religious freedom and how do we protect it today?
Virginia was the first state to lead the religious movement. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wanted the people of Virginia to have complete religious freedom. In 1779 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. In this statute, Jefferson makes a statement about both freedom of conscience and the principle of separation of church and state.
The first line of the statute reads, “Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free”. God created man and gave them the freedom to choose. God has given man the right to choose how we worship Him. Jefferson had the belief that the government should not …show more content…
Oaks published an article in the Ensign titled, Religion in Public Life. In his article, Elder Oaks pointed out the difference between religious freedom and freedom from religion. He states, “…many understand the law today as being hostile rather than neutral toward religion”. In 1962 the United States Supreme Court ruled that the New York State Board of Regents could not require public schools to recite a prayer that the Board had written. There have been many cases over the years challenging the First Amendment. In 1978 McDaniel V. Paty, A Tennessee law preventing clergy from public office was overturned when it directly targeted people because of their religious