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Scout Oscar Ramos attended the 2005 celebration of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom in Fredericksburg. This year, observances begin Jan. 14 with the annual parade and ceremony sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. |
By KELLY HANNON
Religious freedom wasn't always an unalienable right in America.
Colonists may have fled here to escape persecution abroad, but religious freedom wasn't protected until well after the American Revolution.
Thomas Jefferson and others worked to draft the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom while meeting in Fredericksburg in 1777.
Virginia's statute, enacted in 1786, separated church and state and gave equal status to all faiths. It became the basis for the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving all Americans the freedom to practice their religion or none at all.
This year marks the 230th anniversary of the writing of Virginia's Statute of Religious Freedom.
Fredericksburg's religious, civic and educational institutions have planned a celebration to mark the milestone.
Events begin Sunday, Jan. 14, with a downtown religious freedom parade and ceremony sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Members of all faiths are encouraged to attend, said Jim Berry, Religious Freedom Day coordinator, Knights of Columbus, Rappahannock Assembly 1613.
The Knights have organized the observance at the monument for many years. Berry said they have personally invited people of faith across the spectrum.
"We've tried to reach out to as many non-Christian groups as we can locate to come join us," he said.
The parade starts at 1:30 p.m. at the downtown train station and will end at the Monument for Religious Freedom on Washington Avenue, where the ceremony will begin at 2 p.m.
"When I came to Fredericksburg five or six years ago, I didn't know Thomas Jefferson had written a religious freedom act for Virginia. So I think the event is about education, as well as celebration, of what he did," Berry said.
Everyone is welcome to join the parade, which will follow Caroline Street to Amelia Street to Washington Avenue. Marchers should be in place at 1 p.m.
The keynote speaker at the ceremony is Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County.
Past speakers have included Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia and the Rev. Louis V. Iasiello, former chief of chaplains for the U.S. Navy, and president of Washington Theological Union.
Scalia's speech in 2003 brought national attention to the event. Later that year, Scalia recused himself from the Pledge of Allegiance case, Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, after he criticized lower court decisions that have outlawed expressions of religious faith in public events.
Other events marking the 230th anniversary of the drafting are planned by the Fredericksburg Council for the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.
This year, the focus of events is Islam.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, will speak Thursday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium, at the University of Mary Washington. His lecture is entitled "The Meaning of Freedom in a Global Context."
On Friday, Jan. 19, the UMW department of classics, philosophy and religion will host an evening of Persian music in the Great Hall of the Woodard Campus Center at 7 p.m.
In addition, an exhibit of photography will be displayed at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street, Jan. 13-20. The events are free and open to all.
The CPR department is seeking donations to defray the cost of religious freedom events it has sponsored for the past five years. Checks may be made out to the department of classics, philosophy and religion, the University of Mary Washington. Write "Religious Freedom" on the subject line.
For more information about the events, contact Craig Vasey, professor of philosophy, at 540/654-1342.
To reach KELLY HANNON:
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com
Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. And though we well know that this assembly elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and |
