Today, January 16, 2010, is Religious Freedom Day, a day proclaimed by the president to celebrate our freedom, honor our tradition of religious liberty, and commemorate the signing of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786.
In the United States, we are free to worship the God of our fathers—the God the founders recognized as the One who granted us the “inalienable rights” described in the Declaration of Independence. We are free to worship other deities or follow other beliefs. We are free to choose not to worship anything. No one and no government can stand between us and the free worship of our God.
Unfortunately, many people around the world do not enjoy religious freedom. We must stand up for them and do all we can to teach the world the value of allowing its citizens to worship as they choose. We who enjoy this amazing freedom must remain vigilant to protect it. And we must exercise it to set an example for the world and to keep our country great.
O God, who art the giver of all good gifts; We bless thy Name and give thee thanks for the religious freedom guaranteed to us in these United States. Grant that we worship thee, the one true God, faithfully and reverently, and that we protect this freedom for future generations, ever mindful that we enjoy liberty that many have not. We offer supplications for thy children around the world who do not enjoy the freedom to worship thee openly and freely without fear of persecution. We beseech thee to remember them in thy mercy and spread religious freedom around the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who liveth and reignth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.