Author : U. S. Department U.S. Department of Justice
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781075127199
Total Pages : 40 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (271 download)
Book Synopsis Combating Religious Discrimination Today: Final Report by : U. S. Department U.S. Department of Justice
Download or read book Combating Religious Discrimination Today: Final Report written by U. S. Department U.S. Department of Justice and published by . This book was released on 2019-06-20 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For centuries, America has stood throughout the world as a beacon of religious diversity and pluralism. People of many faiths, creeds, and backgrounds have arrived on our shores in search of protection, freedom, and opportunity. The framers of the Constitution ensured that there shall be no religious test for public office, and they placed religious freedom as the first right listed in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, with its dual protections ensuring that the government shall not take sides in religious matters, and that free religious exercise would be protected. The centrality of these beliefs to the foundation of this country can be seen in the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom, which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and served as the precursor for the First Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. Enacted in 1786, it provided that "no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry," nor "suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief." As President Obama has remarked: "The Virginia Statute was more than a law. It was a statement of principle, declaring freedom of religion as the natural right of all humanity - not a privilege for any government to give or take away."As President Obama has said, "From many faiths and diverse beliefs, Americans are united by the ideals we cherish. Our shared values define who we are as a people and what we stand for as a Nation." This Administration celebrates the commitment of the United States to religious freedom, non-discrimination, and religious pluralism, and is dedicated to upholding those principles and values. As part of that work, we invited governmental and civil society leaders to the White House in December 2015 to discuss opportunities and challenges in this area. At that time, U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division's Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Vanita Gupta, announced that roundtables would be held across the country to explore the state of religious freedom and gather recommendations about how the Federal government can address these issues. This report memorializes those discussions, and it is an honor to be able to release it at another White House gathering today. We want to thank all of the religious and community leaders who contributed to the report. We also want to thank the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division for its leadership of this project as well as the U.S. Attorneys and Federal agency partners who contributed.
