Thank God for the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

January 20, 2007

Guest Post by Morbo

Jan. 16 was “Religious Freedom Day.” Coming as it does around the same time as the federal Martin Luther King holiday, this event often gets overlooked.

It’s a shame because the day marks an important anniversary. On Jan. 16, 1786, Thomas Jefferson’s “Act for Establishing Religious Freedom” became law in Virginia. This legislation, also often called the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, had a profound impact on church-state relations and religious liberty in America.

Prior to the bill’s passage, Virginia had an established church — Anglicanism. Laws protecting this church were in force. “Dissenting” preachers could be fined or even imprisoned for preaching in public. Jefferson’s ally, James Madison, once saw Baptist preachers in jail and denounced their confinement in a letter to a friend in Philadelphia.

Perhaps worst of all were the church taxes. Everyone had to pay them, whether they were Anglican or not.

The Virginia Statute put a stop to all of this. It failed to pass when Jefferson first introduced it in 1779, but by 1786 public dissatisfaction over the cozy relationship between church and state in Virginia was on the upswing. Madison used a controversy over proposed legislation by Patrick Henry to impose yet another church tax to revive the Jefferson bill. (Jefferson himself was in Paris at the time.)

The act reads in part, “Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities” (Read the entire bill).

Jefferson was very proud of this bill — with good cause.

If you visit his estate, Monticello, near Charlottesville, Va., you can see Jefferson’s gravesite and marker. Jefferson chose the wording for the marker, which lists three chief accomplishments of his life: author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia and author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. (Hey, wasn’t this guy also president?)

When the bill was being deliberated, a proposal was made to amend it so that it would protect only Christians. This failed, and when Jefferson found out about it, he was pleased. Years later he wrote, “The insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and infidel of every denomination.”

Most scholars agree the Virginia statute directly influenced the First Amendment’s religion provisions. I know it’s a few days late, but take some time to read the Virginia statute. Then mail a copy off to your favorite TV preacher or advocate of “Christian nation” claptrap.

Thanks Morbo. That’s a new one on me. And an inspirational one. Am I stretching too much to note that super-patriot Henry was pushing religion and Jefferson, the thinker, was pushing freedom?

“infidel of every denomination” I like it.

  • Perhaps worst of all were the church taxes. Everyone had to pay them, whether they were Anglican or not.

    Interesting. When I was living in Germany (in Bavaria) I had to submit a governmental form to get out of paying church taxes; the practice persists today even in some relatively secular countries.

  • Interesting. My memory of history lessons says that this is exactly the sort of crap (i.e. jailing preachers) that drove Europeans to the new colonies. And of course there was the Protestant Reformation. Call me alarmist but I’m sure that without Jefferson’s intervention it would have gotten a lot worse.

    [Sigh] From T. Jefferson to G. Bush in less than three centuries. How the hell did THAT happen?

  • Rep. Ellison used Jefferson’s copy of the Koran. Outstanding!

    Expect the Christianist to denounce this legislation and its author far and wide.

  • ***[Sigh] From T. Jefferson to G. Bush in less than three centuries. How the hell did THAT happen?***
    —————The Answer is Orange

    I believe that Morbo offered the answer in his post: “…your favorite TV preacher or advocate of “Christian nation” claptrap.”

    These people would, given the opportunity, erase a pretty big piece of the human history, all for the “profit” of gaining power—both unlimited and unwarranted—over the People. They came close this last time; very close; dangerously close, even. America cannot ever again afford to place its foundational liberties, and the ideals behind those liberties, of the altar of deceptive Theo-Fascist sacrifice. This nation must not be placed under the Dominionistic tyranny of the ideological smoke-filled tent—the predecessor of the political smoke-filled room—that was employed as a ruse to invent the “biblical” hatreds used in so many of today’s “christian” activities.

    The Christian faith-regimen teaches that the messenger, having given the message, is to leave forthwith if the person receiving that message—for any reason—chooses to not accept the message. This “christian” (little-c) regimen is not equal to the former. Rather, it promotes a hierarchy of hate, bigotry, covetousness, deceit, dishonesty, theft, and even death. It promotes the need for children to disrespect parents who do not acept “the message.”

    Simply put, I find that the “message” being promoted by Morbo’s “favorite TV preacher or advocate of “Christian nation” claptrap” is a message that violates, in the most literal of fashion, the very same “commandments” that said preachers and advocates seek to place in every courthouse, in every classroom, and on every public square, piece of playground equipment, park bench, windshield, front door, toilet stall, and bed-post in the whole of these United States.

    And a messenger who violates his own message is usually the exact opposite of what that messenger pretends to be. Given that simple truth, I must ask but two question:

    (1) Who do these “christians” promote as being the opposite of Christ?
    and
    (2) What does that make each and every last one these so-called “christians?”

  • Nice to see further affirmation of the fact that Patrick Henry was an over-rated ignoranus (a legend in his own mind), who would be unknown to history but for the memorability of a single phrase in a single speech of his otherwise-useless career. The man was more hindrance than help to everything that happened after the famous speech.

  • And we all know why the religious right and a good bit of it’s Virginia sympathizers wish to ignore this little piece of Jefferson wisdom.

  • Tom’s right about Patrick Henry — he’s way overrated. In fairness to his memory, however, I should note that his church tax bill was a slight liberalization over what existed. Instead of forcing everyone to support the Anglican Church, Henry wanted to tax them to support “teachers of the Christian religion.” So you would have had the freedom to pick another version of Christianity to support. Jefferson and Madison knew why this was still a lousy idea. To defeat Henry, they worked behind the scenes to elect him as governor! In that position, Henry was unable to speak on the floor of the assembly on behalf of his own bill. (At one point, Jefferson even suggested praying for Henry’s death — a bit of an edgy joke there.) And people think politics today is a blood sport.

  • Wish we’d known about this years ago. I’m amazed that nobody has ever mentioned it in any forum I’ve ever heard of, what with all the ‘culture war’
    craziness that’s been going on. Thanks for bringing it up, Morbo.

  • Here in Virginia we love Thomas Jefferson. Although I am new to the state( living in MA the past 20 years) I quickly developed a fondness and appreciation for Jefferson, He was one of the smartest Presidents we ever were fortunate to have. A tour of Monticello opens one’s eyes to the greatness of this man who didn’t trust the press and was fearful of the religious portion of our country. I have often evoked his name in my letters to Senator Warner when I have disagreed with him. Jefferson would be disgusted with GWB and his views.

  • i have a question why was the virginia statue for religous freedom written what was the purpose give me the anwer soon i’ll be waiting SEE YA!!!!!!!!!!!

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