12 2 STA T .5 2 70PROCL A M AT I O N8 215 —J AN. 1 4, 2008 Proclam a ti o n8215 o fJ an u ar y 1 4, 2 0 08 Relig i ousFr ee d o mDay,20 0 8BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation ThomasJef fe r so nc o u n t e d the freedom of w orsh ip as one of A merica ’ s g reatest bl essings .H e said it was ‘ ‘a libert y deemed in other countries incompatible with good go v ernment , and yet proved by our e x perience to be its best support.’’ O n R eligious F reedom D ay, we celebrate the 1786 passage of the V irginia S tatute for Religious Freedom. The freedom to worship according to one’s conscience is one of our N ation’s most cherished values. I t is the first protection offered in the B ill of Rights
that ‘‘ C ongress shall ma k e no law respecting an estab - lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.’’ In Amer- ica, people of different faiths can live together united in peace, toler- ance, and humility. W e are committed to the proposition that as e q ual citi z ens of the U nited States of America, all are free to worship as they choose. In an era during which an unprecedented number of nations have em- braced individual freedom, we have also witnessed the stubborn en- durance of religious repression. Religious freedom belongs not to any one nation, but to the world, and my Administration continues to sup- port freedom of worship at home and abroad. On Religious Freedom Day and throughout the year, we recognize the importance of religious freedom and the vital role it plays in spreading liberty and ensuring human dignity. NOW, TH E REFORE, I, G EORGE W. BUSH, P resident of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 20 08, as Religious Freedom Day. I call on all Americans to reflect on the great blessing of religious liberty, endeavor to preserve this freedom for future generations, and commemorate this day with appropriate events and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our L ord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 821 6 of January 16, 2008 M ar t i nL ut h er K ing, J r . , Federal H oliday, 2008 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Dr. M artin Luther K ing, Jr., changed our Nation forever through his leadership, service, and clarity of vision. On the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, we honor the lasting legacy of this great American, remember the ideals for which he fought, and recommit ourselves to
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