Hearing of the House Judiciary Committee - Statement by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Markup of "Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act"

Hearing

Freedom in the exercise of religion is a fundamental right that our founding fathers chose to place as the first recognized right in our Bill of Rights. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington stated, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports." He continued, "And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion." These learned men appreciated not only the spiritual benefits of religion to the individual, but the benefits to society of having a population committed to practicing their faith -- something that research shows is linked to strong marriages and families, that benefits the poor, and that leads to a reduction in the incidence of domestic abuse, crime, substance abuse, and addiction.

Unfortunately, our society no longer seems to place the same value on religious belief. In fact, it often feels that in this modern society, religion is met with disdain and an attitude of militant secularization. We live in a time where violence and threats of violence are routinely used to scare people from practicing their religious beliefs. Between January and March of this year alone, there were over 100 bomb threats called into Jewish community centers. There have been numerous arson attempts on mosques as well.

As a society, as a Congress, we must make clear that we value this vital right to exercise religious freedom, and do what we can to encourage and foster this faith, for the good of the country. That's why it is important we make clear that threatening places of worship, threatening religious institutions, and deterring good people from practicing their faith and exercising their right to do so, will not be tolerated. H.R. 1730, the Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2017, sends that important message.

This bill clarifies that federal law prohibits threats toward religious institutions, and that the protection extends beyond places of worship, to places such as religiously-affiliated community centers. Specifically, the legislation ensures that federal law will prohibit threats to property such as bomb threats, provided the threat is so serious that it obstructs an individual's ability to exercise their right to practice their religion. This bill applies to the property of any religious institution, whether it be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or other.

In Matthew Chapter 18, Verse 20, Jesus tells his disciples, "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst." Community gathering, whether it be for worship, for socializing, for volunteer functions, is an important component to any religion and, more broadly, to a healthy and prosperous nation. We must ensure these types of institutions are protected and recognize their vital function in society.

I thank Mr. Kustoff and Mr. Kilmer for introducing this bill and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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