Obama gives a nod to atheists and agnostics in ‘Religious Freedom Day’ proclamation

[DonViejo]

By Eric W. Dolan
Friday, January 17, 2014 10:03 EST

For the fourth year in a row, President Barack Obama has recognized the rights of atheists and agnostics in his Religious Freedom Day proclamation.

“Today, America embraces people of all faiths and of no faith. We are Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, atheists and agnostics,” he said in a proclamation issued on Thursday.

“Our religious diversity enriches our cultural fabric and reminds us that what binds us as one is not the tenets of our faiths, the colors of our skin, or the origins of our names. What makes us American is our adherence to shared ideals — freedom, equality, justice, and our right as a people to set our own course.”


Religious Freedom Day has been celebrated on January 16 every year since 1993 to commemorate the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786.

“The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, penned by Thomas Jefferson, declared religious liberty a natural right and any attempt to subvert it ‘a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either,’” Obama explained in his proclamation. “The Statute inspired religious liberty protections in the First Amendment, which has stood for almost two and a quarter centuries.”

Last year, Obama said in his proclamation: “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Sikhs and non-believers.”

In 2012, the President remarked that the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom had “preserved religious freedom for both believers and non-believers for over 220 years.”

In 2011, Obama said the Founding Fathers upheld “the right to believe in no religion at all.”

Faithless Americans received no mention in the 2010 proclamation.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/17/obama-gives-a-nod-to-atheists-and-agnostics-in-religious-freedom-day-proclamation/

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[hrmjustin]

1. I am glad he was inclusive about this.

[skepticscott]

3. Wow, really?

And why is there a NEED to be "inclusive" in the first place?

[hrmjustin]

4. Because we want people to be included.

[skepticscott]

5. So why did he not have to

make a special and deliberate point of "including" Xstians?

[hrmjustin]

6. I think he did mention Christians.

[edhopper]

2. As with Gay rights

I guess he is evolving his view. I appreciate it.

[LostOne4Ever]

8. Lets be honest

He has always been in favor of Gay Rights. He just changed his position when he ran for president because that view was not perceived as viable at that time.

[okasha]

12. Indeed he was not always in favor of Gay Rights.

Remember his interview in which he said "God's not in the mix" in a gay or lesbian relationship? His administration's defense of DOMA? The lack of protest when his voice and image were used to support Prop H8?

I'm glad his thinking's evolved, but that evolution had a lot to do with the sound of LGBT purses and wallets snapping shut when he needed campaign funds for the last election.

[LostOne4Ever]

13. He also stated he was in favor of gay marriage before all that

Back in 1996.

http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-returns-to-1996-position-says-he-supports-gay-marriage

He "conveniently" switched positions in 2004 when he ran for Senator.

I think its pretty obvious that he has always been pro-gay marriage but took the politically expedient position when he ran for national office. He is a politician and does what he has to in order to get elected. Sadly, that is the best only way to get reforms through sometimes.

[Goblinmonger]

7. And Fox News will lose their shit

in 3...2...1...

[shenmue]

9. I'm glad

Freedom is what freedom is. We have room for all, religious are not.

[cbayer]

10. Very cool. Thanks Prez.

[dimbear]

11. Exactly. And the R's would be very foolish not to follow up with the same.

Times change.

[skepticscott]

14. You mean more foolish than they've been

in alienating women, blacks, Hispanics and homosexuals?