Bill Text: AZ SCR1028 | 2020 | Fifty-fourth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Religious freedom day; recognition
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (N/A - Dead) - [SCR1028 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2020-SCR1028-Introduced.html
|
REFERENCE TITLE: religious freedom day; recognition |
|
State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session 2020
|
|
SCR 1028 |
|
|
|
Introduced by Senators Mendez: Alston, Dalessandro, Gonzales, Navarrete, Otondo, Quezada, Rios, Steele; Representative Salman
|
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
recognizing the religious freedom of arizona residents and declaring january 16, 2020 as religious freedom day in arizona.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Whereas, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (the Virginia Statute) was enacted on January 16, 1786 to protect the right of religious exercise and prohibit the compulsory support of any religion. The Virginia Statute set forth the principle that religious liberty is an inherent right and not a gift of the state; and
Whereas, written by Thomas Jefferson and championed by James Madison, the Virginia Statute served as the forerunner to the approach taken by the framers of the United States Constitution regarding religion and government; and
Whereas, religious freedom is a fundamental American and human right and a cornerstone of democracy. This freedom is a right for all, rather than a privilege for the few, and this fundamental right applies to people of all and of no religious affiliations or beliefs; and
Whereas, the Virginia Statute insists on equality as a guiding and governing principle, specifying that one's religious identity should be neither an advantage nor a disadvantage under the law; and
Whereas, the Virginia Statute declared that "...all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." Thomas Jefferson later said that religious freedom encompasses "the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the [Muslim], the [Hindu] and infidel of every denomination"; and
Whereas, these principles are not only foundational, but remain essential to the health and future of our democracy. The government may not favor one religion over another, or over nonreligion, without fatally undermining religious freedom; and
Whereas, these philosophies should guide and inform judicial decisions, legislation and public policymaking at all levels of government; and
Whereas, in 1992, Congress designated January 16th as Religious Freedom Day to celebrate the enactment of the Virginia Statute, stipulating that it be commemorated by a presidential proclamation; and
Whereas, the Virginia Statute was central in shaping one of the highest aspirations of the American experiment: religious freedom.
Therefore
Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring:
1. That the Members of the Legislature recognize the religious freedom of all residents of this state.
2. That the Members of the Legislature commemorate the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786.
3. That the Members of the Legislature recognize January 16, 2020 as Religious Freedom Day in Arizona.
