“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The first amendment of our U.S. Constitution

Today (1-16-2024) is National Religious Freedom day, established by our own U.S. Congress.  Regardless of what many would have us think, we have the right to worship God as we wish.

In 1663, King Charles II granted a Royal Charter for the Colony of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations to be specifically established for religious toleration of all faiths.   “…our royal will and pleasure is, that no person within the said Colony, at any time hereafter, shall be any wise molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion, in matters of religion, who does not actually disturb the peace of our said Colony; but that all and every person and persons may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, freely and fully have and enjoy his own and their judgments and consciences, in matters of religious concernments, throughout the tract of land heretofore mentioned, they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly and not using this liberty to licentiousness and profaneness, nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others.”  

Therefore, let’s not relinquish the freedom that our forefathers, and even the king of England, granted us, but more importantly, that God allowed us to have.  Thank God that such a right was included in the amendments to our constitution.  To take it away would require taking a knife to the very foundation of our country.  However, there are those who would like to re-interpret the meaning of the words in our constitution and also those who would like to make religion, or the love of God our Father, look like hatred.

Happy National Religious Freedom Day!  Use it wisely and lovingly!