Granting Plea For Religious Liberty In Philadelphia
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Since the time of William Penn, Pennsylvania has been recognized for its religious diversity and toleration. Religion affects all areas of a society's culture and heritage, and the vast holdings of the Pennsylvania State Archives reflect this influence on the Commonwealth's government and citizens throughout history.
Pennsylvania was established as a place where religious liberty is to be valued and protected – a “Holy Experiment” in the words of the Commonwealth's founder, William Penn.
Pennsylvania's restriction on religious liberty was that holding office required an oath affirming belief in both the Old and New Testaments, eliminating Jews from serving.
In Pennsylvania, religious tolerance was the law. Penn welcomed settlers from all faiths to Pennsylvania. Each of the other American colonies had established an official church, but Penn did not. He sought out religious groups suffering in Europe, and invited them to his colony.
Pennsylvania treated American Indians with justice even as the settlers moved west and established prosperous small farms. The colony became a model of religious liberty and justice in British North America.
What was one of Pennsylvania's only restrictions on religious liberty? Holding office required an oath affirming a belief in Jesus Christ, which eliminated Jews from serving.
All the great religions and traditions overlap when it comes to the fundamental principles of human conduct: charity, justice, compassion, mutual respect, the equality of human beings in the sight of God.
Religion can be defined with six characteristics: Sacred, myth, ritual, community, morality, and religious leaders.
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom is a statement about both freedom of conscience and the principle of separation of church and state. Written by Thomas Jefferson and passed by the Virginia General Assembly on January 16, 1786, it is the forerunner of the first amendment protections for religious freedom.
