Religious Freedom Was America’s First Freedom – and Still Is

The New York Times reported the following about a new piece of legislation known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993: “President Clinton today signed into law legislation requiring the Government to meet stringent standards before instituting measures that might interfere with religious practices.”

About this law, President Clinton said the following:

The free exercise of religion has been called the first freedom, that which originally sparked the development of the full range of the Bill of Rights.

What this law basically says is that the Government should be held to a very high level of proof before it interferes with someone’s free exercise of religion. This judgment is shared by the people of the United States as well as by the Congress. We believe strongly that we can never, we can never be too vigilant in this work.

The 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed with overwhelming majorities. The House bill passed without a single objection, sponsored by Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Chris Cox. The Senate bill passed by a vote of 97-3, sponsored by Democrat Ted Kennedy and Republican Orrin Hatch. Of the bipartisan nature of this effort, President Clinton commented: “I’m told that, as many of the people in the coalition worked together across ideological and religious lines, some new friendships were formed and some new trust was established, which shows, I suppose, that the power of God is such that even in the legislative process miracles can happen.”

Society and politics have changed drastically in the past three decades, though the first freedom’s role in the foundation of our liberty has not.

On Sept. 25, 1789, Congress passed the proposed Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that enshrined religious liberty as our nation’s first freedom. On that same day, Congress proposed and ultimately passed (three days later) a Joint Resolution:

That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States, to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a Constitution of government for their safety and happiness.

As a response to that resolution, President Washington established our nation’s first official Thanksgiving. His proclamation contained the following:

It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor – and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

The juxtaposition of these two events on the same day is stunning. Our Founders wholeheartedly supported the religious liberty guaranteed by the First Amendment while passionately supporting a public day that gratefully acknowledged our trust in the Lord. It was no violation of foundational principles – in fact, just the opposite. As Washington stated: “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God.”

It is our duty to do so today as well, while embracing the liberty provided by our first freedom.

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.