Chicago, Ill., Oct 23, 2012 / 23:26 pm
A new declaration signed by business and cultural leaders in Chicago voiced support for the U.S. Constitution's religious freedom protections and emphasized the importance of education and engagement on this fundamental right in the face of current threats.
"In recognizing the unique and indispensable role of religion in our society and in the development of people, we affirm the positive good that religion plays in resisting vice and degradation, and in building virtue and a more noble humanity," the signatories of The Chicago Declaration stated.
Noting that religious freedom is "the indispensable means of ensuring the hopeful vitality of our people and Constitutional Republic," they warned that "to lose it is to lose the heart of the nation and the Republic itself."
The declaration grew out of the Reclaiming Religious Liberty Leadership Summit, which took place at Halas Hall in the Chicago area on Oct. 14.