Obama Issues ‘Religious Freedom Day’ Proclamation: ‘A Nation of Christians & Muslims, Jews & Hindus, Sikhs & Non-Believers’
Whether or not you knew it, today, Jan. 16, is “Religious Freedom Day,” an annual event that has been recognized by the past three U.S. presidents. The designation, which honors America as a country that allows for the free practice of any and all faiths, was officially commemorated today by President Barack Obama.
On Wednesday, the White House released Obama’s 2013 proclamation message. In it, he focused upon the “freedom to worship.” Here is a portion (the majority) of the president’s commentary:
Foremost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose. Today, we celebrate one of our Nation’s first laws to protect that right — the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. Written by Thomas Jefferson and guided through the Virginia legislature by James Madison, the Statute affirmed that “Almighty God hath created the mind free” and “all men shall be free to...
It is true that we enjoy the blessing of religious liberty in this country. The federal government can make no law mandating that all citizens profess or practice a particular form of religious belief. It is somewhat misleading, however, to say without qualification, "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Sikhs and non-believers," as if all these different belief systems contributed equally to shaping our nation's culture, customs, and laws. The fact is, from its inception, the legal system of the United States was based on principles of English common law which were themselves derived from biblical teaching. Our nation's culture was "birthed," therefore, out of a distinctively biblical world view, with biblical principles of justice and righteousness determining the character of our laws. A sizable majority of Americans professed some form of belief in the Bible as the Word of God. While the United States was never "officially" or "formally" declared a Christian nation by its founding documents, unofficially and informally, its laws were of a Judeo-Christian (not a Koranic or secular humanist) character. There is nothing "unconstitutional" about that; so there is no reason Christians need to surrender this country without a fight to atheists.
First, there are only 2 groups: believers and unbelievers. Second, the State is supreme and above all, so based on that alone, there is clearly no freedom to "practice" the faith or to worship God.
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