Contact: Andrew Davis

E-mail: andrew.davis@lp.org

Office: 202-333-0008 ext. 225

Mobile: 202-731-0002

FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY:

Would Thomas Jefferson celebrate Religious Freedom Day?

Irony lost on Bush with government’s proclamation about religious freedom

«Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and State.» – Thomas Jefferson

Quick Quotes:

Shane Cory, Executive Director, Libertarian Party

• «Apparently there are only certain Constitutional rights President Bush finds worthy of appreciation.»

• «Instead of celebrating just one part of the Constitution, we should be focused on restoring all of our Constitutional rights that have been abused during the last seven years.»

Andrew Davis, National Media Coordinator, Libertarian Party

• «Religious Freedom Day is a large dose of historical irony.»

• «I’m a Southern Baptist. I don’t need the government to step in and help me appreciate my faith.»

Washington, D.C. – The Libertarian Party is calling President Bush’s proclamation establishing Jan. 16, 2008 as «Religious Freedom Day» an ironic twist of reality. «Apparently there are only certain Constitutional rights President Bush finds worthy of appreciation,» says Libertarian Party Executive Director Shane Cory.

«While the President says that religious freedom should be universally accepted,» states Cory, «he’s denied the right of habeas corpus to people both in America and abroad. Rather than focusing on religious freedom in the United States, the President should be focusing on the other Amendments in the Constitution he has apparently forgotten.»

From Bush condoning former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ denial of the writ of habeas corpus, to the Bush administration’s illegal wiretaps on American citizens, the Libertarian Party has consistently maintained Bush has violated the First, Fourth and Sixth Amendments during his time as President.

«Instead of celebrating just one part of the Constitution,» says Cory, «we should be focused on restoring all of our Constitutional rights that have been abused during the last seven years.»

«Religious Freedom Day is a large dose of historical irony,» says Libertarian Party National Media Coordinator Andrew Davis. «The President invokes the name of Thomas Jefferson, who called for a ‘wall of separation’ between church and State and said what a person believes is no business of the government. I’m curious to see how Bush justifies the government’s call for all people to reflect upon religious freedom against Jefferson’s call for government to butt-out altogether.»

The 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which Jefferson authored in 1779, states, «no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever.» This statement, along with Jefferson’s belief that religion is a deeply personal relationship between a man and his god, indicates that Bush’s proclamation might not be well received by Jefferson, were Jefferson alive today.

The Libertarian Party believes that religious freedom is a fundamental right of the Constitution, and a part of protecting that right is to keep government out of religion.

«I’m a Southern Baptist,» says Davis. «I don’t need the the government to step in and help me appreciate my faith.»

The Libertarian Party is America’s third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting http://www.lp.org. The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.