Would Thomas Jefferson celebrate Religious Freedom Day

Washington, D.C. – -  The Libertarian Party is calling President Bush’s proclamation establishing Jan. 16, 2008 as “Religious Freedom Day” an ironic twist of reality.  “Apparently there are only certain Constitutional rights President Bush finds worthy of appreciation,” says Libertarian Party Executive Director Shane Cory.

“While the President says that religious freedom should be universally accepted,” states Cory, “he’s denied the right of habeas corpus to people both in America and abroad.  Rather than focusing on religious freedom in the United States, the President should be focusing on the other Amendments in the Constitution he has apparently forgotten.”

From Bush condoning former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ denial of the writ of habeas corpus, to the Bush administration’s illegal wiretaps on American citizens, the Libertarian Party has consistently maintained Bush has violated the First, Fourth and Sixth Amendments during his time as President.

“Instead of celebrating just one part of the Constitution,” says Cory, “we should be focused on restoring all of our Constitutional rights that have been abused during the last seven years.”

“Religious Freedom Day is a large dose of historical irony,” says Libertarian Party National Media Coordinator Andrew Davis. “The President invokes the name of Thomas Jefferson, who called for a ‘wall of separation’ between church and State and said what a person believes is no business of the government.  I’m curious to see how Bush justifies the government’s call for all people to reflect upon religious freedom against Jefferson’s call for government to butt-out altogether.”

The 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which Jefferson authored in 1779, states, “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever.”  This statement, along with Jefferson’s belief that religion is a deeply personal relationship between a man and his god, indicates that Bush’s proclamation might not be well received by Jefferson, were Jefferson alive today.

The Libertarian Party believes that religious freedom is a fundamental right of the Constitution, and a part of protecting that right is to keep government out of religion.