Religious Freedom Texts

Milton's Areopagitica, 1643 -- John Milton (1608-1674)
Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing to the Parliament of England

William's Plea for Religious Liberty, 1644 -- Roger Williams (ca 1603-1683)
Perhaps the first and most passionate, and one of the most significant statements for America.  This piece is an excerpt from the longer piece:  The Bloody Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience

Maryland Toleration Act, 1649

Virginia Bill of Rights 
June 12, 1776 ~ Most famous State Bill of Rights, with statement on Religious Freedom by Patrick Henry 

Declaration of Independence, 1776  ~ of course

Bill of Rights to the Constitution of the United States  

Religious Liberty - Three Formative, Basic Documents 
     Intro & Commentary  by John Adams, 1965
1.  Memorial & Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments
               James Madison, 1785
2.  Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
               Thomas Jefferson, 1779
3.  Letter to Danbury Baptist Association
               Thomas Jefferson, 1802

Virginia Statute on Religious Liberty 
January 16, 1886 

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The Marquis de Lafayette, National Assembly of France, 
August 26, 1789

Jefferson's Inaugural Speech 
March 14, 1801 ~ Famous for faith & beauty 

Garrison's Liberator, Vol. I, No. 1 
January 1, 1831 ~ Perhaps FIRST use of "All Religions"
in the defense of a great cause--Abolition 

Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments & Resolutions 
July 19, 1848 ~ Genesis of Women's Rights & powerful
statement on equality of rights based upon human nature 

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, 1862 

History of Freedom in Antiquity: 
An Address Delivered to the Members of the Bridgnorth Institute
February 26, 1877 by Lord Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton
1st Baron Acton of Aldenham

History of Freedom in Christianity: 
An Address Delivered to the Members of the Bridgnorth Institute
March 28, 1877 by Lord Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton
1st Baron Acton of Aldenham

Roosevelt's Four Freedom's Speech   
July 7, 1941 ~ Became one of the most succinct statements 
on what American resolve stand upon & would fight for 

Key Documents in Advocacy of Religious Toleration:  
From Chelcicky to Helwys  
Professor James Leo Garrett, Jr., 1976

Key Documents Toward the Advocacy of Religious Freedom:  
From Roger Williams Through Vatican Council II 
Professor James Leo Garrett, Jr., 1976

Religious Freedom:   Why and How in Today’s World 
Southwestern Journal of Theology 18 (Spring 1976):  9-24.
Professor James Leo Garrett, Jr., 1976

United Nations Declaration on Human Rights
December 10, 1948 ~ a world class statement 

Declaration on Religious Freedom - Dignitatis Humanae 
His Holiness Pope Paul VI, December 7, 1965

Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
Proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly, 
Resolution 36/55, 25 November 25, 1981

Critique on Barton's "America's Godly Heritage"
June 18, 1996 by the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs 

The Oslo Declaration on Freedom of Religion or Belief
August 15, 1998

Respect for Human Rights:  The Secret of True Peace 
For the Celebration of the World Day of Peace
His Holiness Pope John Paul II, January 1, 1999

United Nations Commission on Human Rights Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of Religious Intolerance
Written statement submitted by the Society for Threatened Peoples, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the UN on behalf of Tibet, February 15, 1999

Geneva Spiritual Appeal - Honoring United Nations Day -
Sunday, October 24, 1999 

United Nations ~ International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation with Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination
Madrid, November 23-25, 2001

Shared Vision:  Religious Liberty in the 21^st Century  first published in July 1994, the original statement was signed by more than 80 individuals and six religious and civil liberties organizations.  This version was updated by the below-listed organizations to reflect legislative and judicial developments in church-state law since the original release, October 2002:
The American Jewish Committee,  Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs,
The Interfaith Alliance Foundation,  National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.,
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism  

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