,,iia ,calendar ,no4 #bde #aafth        
,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4 ,j4      
,,res4 #eh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of    
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #af1  
#bjai,mr4 ,sasse introduced the         
following joint resolution2 which was   
read the first time  ,october #ag1      
#bjai,read the second time and placed on
 the calendar  ,,joint ,,resolution     
,expressing support for freedom of      
conscience4  ,whereas the settlement of 
the #ac colonies was driven in part by  
those seeking refuge from               
government-sponsored religious          
persecution2 ,whereas the ,framers of   
the ,constitution of the ,united ,states
 recognized the centrality of freedom of
 conscience to the establishment of the 
,united ,states1 enshrining in the      
,first ,amendment to the ,constitution  
of the ,united ,states that ,congress   
shall make no law respecting an         
establishment of religion1 or           
prohibiting the free exercise thereof2  
or abridging the freedom of speech1 or  

of the press2 or the right of the people
 peaceably to assemble1 and to petition 
the ,government for a redress of        
grievances2 ,whereas churches1          
synagogues1 mosques1 and other religious
 organizations have played a central and
 invaluable role in life in the ,united 
,states2 and ,whereas ,congress has     
recognized the importance of religious  
institutions by enacting a variety of   
legal protections for those             
institutions1 including exemption from  
income taxes3 ,now1 therefore1 be it    
,that-- 7#a7 the protections of freedom 
of conscience enshrined in the ,first   
,amendment to the ,constitution of the  
,united ,states remain central to the   
experiment of the ,united ,states in    
republican self-government under the    
,constitution of the ,united ,states2   
7#b7 government should not be in the    
business of dictating what correct      
religious beliefs are2 and  7#c7 any    
effort by the government to condition   
the receipt of the protections of the   

,constitution of the ,united ,states and
 the laws of the ,united ,states1       
including an exemption from taxation1 on
 the public policy positions of an      
organization is an affront to the spirit
 and letter of the ,first ,amendment to 
the ,constitution of the ,united        
,states4  ,october #ag1 #bjai,read the  
second time and placed on the calendar