The Act, written by Thomas Jefferson, allowed Virginia to become the first state to separate church and state and remains part of Virginia’s constitution. It was later used as a model for other state constitutions as well as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Here are some of the top religious liberty stories of 2012, in no particular order.
FIRST FREEDOM: The Fight for Religious Liberty is the human story of how the Founding Fathers viewed faith, and how they radically broke with the Western tradition of religion-by-law to create a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice. For more information visit PBS. Watch First Freedom: The Fight for Religious…
The Jackson Sun has interviewed Walter “Chick” McGill and Lucan Chartier about their trademark dispute with the Seventh-day Adventist Church (their church is named “Creation 7th Day Adventist”) that has landed both of them in jail for contempt of court. Although later released, McGill and Chartier maintain that they could be incarcerated again if they refuse to change the name of their church, which they believe was given to them by God.
Pastor David Asscherick’s opening session at the October 20, 2012, “The Coming Storm” religious liberty congress in Atlanta, Georgia, evaluates the awakening call to people of prophecy through ancient events. Part One ambitiously covers the time span from the founding of the Christian Church to 1844. (See Part 2 at NARLAVideo on YouTube)
Pastor David Asscherick’s closing session at the October 20, 2012, “The Coming Storm” religious liberty congress in Atlanta, Georgia, continues a historical review of the awakening call to people of prophecy. Part Two covers 1844-present, with a focus on “the single most important move the Seventh-day Adventist Church must be making.”
Dear Friend of Religious Liberty: Over the last 12 years, we have been watching the Florida state lawmakers’ attempts to fund private and religious schools in Florida with tax dollars. It has become apparent they will stop at nothing to do away with your state constitutional protection that prohibits tax dollars going to support religious…
BOISE, IDAHO – Seventh-day Adventist pastor Jim Wibberding has been selected to serve as Idaho state senate chaplain for the 2013 Legislative Session. Wibberding, who earned a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership degree from Andrews University presently serves as the pastor of the Cloverdale Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Northwest Religious Liberty Association has issued the…