January 16 was Religious Freedom Day (the news was dominated by the miraculous landing of an airplane on the Hudson). Various religious organizations issued statements and press releases, while the Day itself even has its own website.
The White House, on January 14, issued a press release to commemorate the annual recognition of the 1786 passage of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (authored by Thomas Jefferson).
It is the "stubborn endurance of religious repression," which has formed the basis of Religious Freedom Day. At the same time, we remember our First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the legal rights provided to U.S. citizens. Actually, when looking at the issues connected to religion and politics, it is the highly political and partisan documents, which reveal the trends and make such a Day interesting.
For this reason, on Religious Freedom Day, I found it worthwhile to visit the website of the Heritage Foundation, which published in a WebMemo that same-sex marriage can erode religious freedom – "troubling signs that the ability of people to express their religious beliefs without fear of penalty is eroding." To understand the trends of conservative belief about religious freedom, the Memo gives a good breakdown of current court cases and institutional deficiencies, which may lead to religious discrimination in the name of same-sex marriage. Indeed, it is a day to reflect “on the religious freedom our nation enjoys.”
