Jefferson’s Statute for Religious
Freedom and the First Amendment
California Content Standard 8.2.5
By the end of the lesson, I will be able to…
Understand the significance of Jefferson’s Statute for Religious
Freedom as a forerunner of the First Amendment and the
origins, purpose, and differing views of the founding fathers on
the issue of the separation of church and state
As evidenced by…
Taking notes and a quiz.
Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom
• Thomas Jefferson’s ideas about religious freedom were
included in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
• This document declared that no person could be forced to attend
a particular church or be required to pay for a church with tax
money.
First Amendment
• The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom served as the basis
for the beginning of the First Amendment
• “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
• Government cannot support or interfere with the practice of a
religion.
• This amendment keeps the government from favoring one
religion over any other.
• When the Constitution was written, many countries had an
official state religion.
• By 1833 no state within the United States had an “official”
church.
From the Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom
II. Be it enacted by the General assembly, that no man shall be
compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place,
or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained,
molested, or burthened in his body or goods, not shall
otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief;
but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to
maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, that that the same
shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.
From the Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom
III. And though we well know that this assembly elected by the
people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no
power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies, constituted
with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this
act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are
free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted
are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be
hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its
operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.