,,iii #aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #bg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #ai1 #bjaf,mr4 ,daines 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,hatch1 ,mr4 ,blunt1 ,mr4 ,lankford1 ,mr4 ,lee1 ,mr4 ,sasse1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,mr4 ,cotton1 ,mr4 ,cochran1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 and ,mr4 ,inhofe7 submitted the following concurrent resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,concurrent ,,resolution ,affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right that is essential to a free society and is protected for all ,americans by the text of the ,constitution1 and recognizing the #bcjth anniversary of the enactment of the ,virginia ,statute for ,religious ,freedom4 ,whereas ,american democracy is rooted in the fundamental truth that all are created equal1 endowed by our ,creator with certain inalienable rights1 among which are life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of happiness2 ,whereas few freedoms were more valued by those who settled this ,nation than the freedom of conscience1 prompting ,thomas ,jefferson to declare in the ,letter to ,new ,london ,methodists1 dated ,february #d1 #ahji1 that no provision in our ,constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority2 ,whereas the ,virginia ,statute for ,religious ,freedom1 which was drafted by ,thomas ,jefferson and considered by him to be one of his greatest achievements1 was enacted on ,january #af1 #aghf1 and became the forerunner of the ,free ,exercise ,clause of the ,first ,amendment to the ,united ,states ,constitution2 ,whereas the right to freedom of religion undergirds the very origin and existence of the ,united ,states1 a freedom which was established by our ,nation's founders in law1 as a fundamental right and as a pillar of our ,nation1 as noted in section #b of the ,international ,religious ,freedom ,act of #aiih2 ,whereas the role of religion in ,american society and public life has a long and robust tradition2 ,whereas those who have studied ,american democracy from an outside perspective1 such as ,alexis de ,tocqueville1 have noted that religion plays a central role in preserving our ,government because it provides a moral base that is required for democracy to succeed2 ,whereas the ,supreme ,court has affirmed in ,town of ,greece v4 ,galloway that people of many faiths may be united in a community of tolerance and devotion2 ,whereas the principle of religious freedom has guided our ,nation forward1 as expressed by the #ddth ,president of the ,united ,states in his ,presidential ,proclamation on ,religious ,freedom ,day in #bjaa1 and is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe1 as expressed by the #ddth ,president of the ,united ,states on the same occassion in #bjac2 ,whereas ,freedom of religion is a fundamental human right that must be upheld by every ,nation and guaranteed by every ,government1 as expressed by the #dbnd ,president of the ,united ,states in his ,presidential ,proclamation on ,religious ,freedom ,day in #aiii2 ,whereas the ,first ,amendment protects the right of individuals to freely express and act on their religious beliefs1 as well as the freedom of all individuals to not be coerced to profess or act on a religious belief to which they do not adhere2 ,whereas our laws and institutions should not impede or hinder but rather should protect and preserve fundamental religious liberties1 as expressed by the #dbnd ,president of the ,united ,states in his remarks on signing the ,religious ,freedom ,restoration ,act of #aiic2 ,whereas for countless ,americans1 their faith is an integral part of every aspect of their daily lives1 and is not limited to their homes1 to houses of worship1 or to doctrinal creeds2 ,whereas religious faith has inspired many of our fellow citizens to help build a better ,nation1 where people of faith continue to wage a determined campaign to meet needs and fight suffering1 as expressed by the #dcrd ,president of the ,united ,states in his ,presidential ,proclamation on ,religious ,freedom ,day in #bjjc2 ,whereas from its birth to this day1 the ,united ,states has prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious freedom and offering refuge to those suffering religious persecution1 as noted in section #b of the ,international ,religious ,freedom ,act of #aiih2 ,whereas ,thomas ,jefferson noted in #ahbb that the constitutional freedom of religion is the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights1 and also wrote in #agih that each right encompassed in the ,first ,amendment is dependent on the others1 thereby guarding in the same sentence1 and under the same words1 the freedom of religion1 of speech1 and of the press3 insomuch1 that whatever violated either1 throws down the sanctuary which covers the others2 ,whereas religious freedom has been integral to the preservation and development of the ,united ,states1 and the free exercise of religion goes hand in hand with the preservation of our other rights1 as expressed by the #dast ,president of the ,united ,states in his ,presidential ,proclamation on ,religious ,freedom ,day in #aiic2 and ,whereas we continue to proclaim the fundamental right of all peoples to believe and worship according to their own conscience1 to affirm their beliefs openly and freely1 and to practice their faith without fear or intimidation1 as expressed by the #dbnd ,president of the ,united ,states in his ,presidential ,proclamation on ,religious ,freedom ,day in #aiih2 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that ,congress-- 7#a7 honors the #bcjth anniversary of the passage of the ,virginia ,statute for ,religious ,freedom on ,religious ,freedom ,day1 ,january #af1 #bjaf2 and 7#b7 affirms that-- 7,a7 religious freedom includes the right to live1 work1 associate1 and worship in accordance with one's beliefs for people of any faith or of no faith2 7,b7 all ,americans can be unified in supporting religious freedom1 regardless of differing individual beliefs1 because it is a fundamental human right2 and 7,c7 the ,american people will remain forever unshackled in matters of faith1 as expressed by the #ddth ,president of the ,united ,states in his ,presidential ,proclamation on ,religious ,freedom ,day in #bjab4