US Holidays - Religious Freedom Day in the USA

A person’s faith is a piece of his soul, a reflection of views and beliefs, the free expression of which no one has the right to interfere with For US law, religious equality is the basis of democracy, the rights and freedoms of every citizen That is why on January 16 a special holiday will be celebrated, designed to become an example for all countries of the world It all started with Thomas Jefferson and his legislation, formulated back in 1782 After which the state of Virginia passed a law that ensured all Virginians the right to free religion and unhindered expression of their own beliefs regarding religious issues Jefferson's position became a prerequisite for ending the practice of taxing citizens by local clergy Now every person felt free not only financially, but also morally It was allowed to freely choose a religion depending on one’s own views and preferences Discrimination based on individual spiritual dogmas and beliefs was strictly prohibited For the United States, such an innovation in legislation was a huge step forward on the path to democracy and protection of the rights of every individual citizen Thomas Jefferson became a pioneer; later, on the basis of his works, the first of the ten amendments to the US Constitution was formulated The famous act - the Bill of Rights, the first clause stipulated a ban on state religion, ensuring civil rights to the free expression of religious beliefs Every US citizen now had every right to freely and without fear profess any spiritual teachings In 2003, on January 16, President D Bush emphasized the need to ensure the unhindered exercise of religion by every citizen It was also said that throughout the world there are still many people who do not have the opportunity to freely express their thoughts and views, especially when it comes to issues of spiritual worldview The President called on the people to act together in order to jointly create a favorable future for adherents of any faith The United States will always support and protect people around the world and defend their sacred right to their own faith To this day, January 16 is a special holiday for US citizens The country's leadership considers the protection of freedom of expression of spiritual views to be a fundamental task for the prosperity of democracy, and tries to ensure open worship, protection of the teachings and rituals of any religious movement On this day, the President appeals to the people to remember the difficult path of the formation of American democracy, moments of history associated with the struggle for civil rights and freedoms, the need to protect the rights to the unhindered choice of religion, and the fight against any manifestations of acts of intolerance and discrimination Freedom of Religion Day is celebrated by holding all kinds of thematic events in families, schools, offices, institutions, higher educational institutions and just on the streets Concerts are held in American schools on this bright day The students themselves prepare costumed theatrical performances, in which they act as historical figures, showing how hard it was to achieve the rights to modern religious freedom Through these activities, young Americans learn to understand and appreciate the importance of historical events that enabled them to live free from fear and persecution