NATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY 1/16: A Day to Remember 

Contributed by Andra Baylus, Regional Director of the Meher Baba Spiritual Community

The First Amendment creates the very space upon which Tysons Interfaith and other interfaith organizations function as we go about the business of interfaith bridge building to create opportunities for spiritual connection, learn about different faith traditions and serve others who are part of one human family. 

It is especially meaningful to be reminded of the First Amendment as we approach the installation of our new administration whose governance agenda will be bound, by law, to uphold the tenets expressed within the First Amendment guaranteeing religious freedom for all faith traditions. 

The following thoughts about Religious Freedom Day, shared with me by a friend, should be a source of comfort –that the First Amendment of our Constitution will ensure the success of future interfaith bridge building activities and protect the religious freedoms of all citizens of the United States:

Honoring All Paths

National Religious Freedom Day – January 16 – is a time to remember and praise the tenets of liberty, equality, and dignity for everyone. That freedom is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution, adopted in 1791, which says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Inherent in our celebration of religious freedom, is the right to also live with freedom of speech, of the press, and the freedom of assembly.

To restrict these freedoms is to undermine the equality, dignity, and respect of our brothers and sisters. Religious freedom makes it possible – and even legal – to publicly honor all faiths, to draw wisdom from diverse spiritual paths. In essence, the New Thought philosophy – and the teaching of it – would not have been allowed without the guarantee of this freedom.

The groundwork for this liberty was established in the 17th century when thousands of Catholics, Puritans, and other religious freethinkers were facing harassment and persecution by the Church of England, which sought to inaugurate itself as the mandatory religion of the nation. The dissenters, who vowed to not be bound by these conditions, showed great dedication and courage in boarding ships for the “New World.”

This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.