Since 1993, the president has declared January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day and has called upon Americans to observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship. It's not the day you get to have religious freedom. It's the day to celebrate the freedoms we already have. It's the anniversary of the passage of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom in 1786. Thomas Jefferson drafted the legislation and considered it one of his greatest achievements.

It protected people's right to express their religious beliefs without discrimination. And it had a huge impact on the drafting of the First Amendment just three years later. It's a great opportunity for students to learn a civics lesson about their religious freedoms right at school. Ask your school to recognize the day and have teachers give students a list of their freedoms to express their faith in class.

For information about Religious Freedom Day and the list of freedoms that students have, visit religiousfreedomday.com.