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Today is Religious Freedom Day

WASHINGTON – President Obama declared today, January 16th, 2013, as Religious Freedom Day.

“Foremost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose. Today, we celebrate one of our Nation’s first laws to protect that right — the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom,” the President said.

Each year, since 1993, the President declares January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day, and calls upon Americans to “observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship.”

Pastor Patti Aurand of First Congregational Church in Mason City said that although she follows national events, she hadn’t heard about Religious Freedom Day.

“Yay to religious freedom, but I didn’t know about it,” Pastor Patti said. “I’m all for religious freedom.”

“We’ve been focusing more on Martin Luther King Day,” Pastor Patti elaborated. “We’ll be talking about how people of faith are called to be courageous in these times.”

Pastor Patti wasn’t the only religious leader in Mason City who found out about Religious Freedom Day just today.

Pastor Dan Gerrietts of Trinity Lutheran Church informed that he hadn’t heard about it.

“Who declared today Religious Freedom Day?” Pastor Dan asked. When told it was President Obama, he said “Religious freedom is a bedrock of who we are as a nation in America, not only to protect government from church, but church from government. It is there for the benefit of all, so that we can worship without worry of being infringed upon by our government.”

The President’s proclamation finished with these words:

“Today, we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace.

“As we observe Religious Freedom Day, let us remember the legacy of faith and independence we have inherited, and let us honor it by forever upholding our right to exercise our beliefs free from prejudice or persecution.”

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