“To bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” George Washington, 1790
These are the words, hubby and I read at the Touro Synagogue. We’re vacationing in Newport, RI. On our “To Do” list, was a visit to America’s
oldest synagogue, Touro Synagogue.
The original congregation
was founded in 1658 by Jews fleeing the Inquisition. Eventually, enough Jews settled in Newport to
request a rabbi. Remember that Roger
Williams founded Rhode Island based on religious tolerance. So the Jews felt accepted. Not Catholics, they weren't welcome; but that’s
a different thread.
After the Revolution, before the Bill of Rights, the warden
of Touro Synagogue, Moses Seixas, wrote a letter to President George
Washington. He wanted to be sure that
the president understood the concerns of the Jewish people in America. The Jews were tired of being persecuted and
dispersed; they wanted assurance that their religion and culture would be
respected.
George Washington responded with the words written above. I was very interested that “Freedom of
conscience” was mentioned by the leader of our fledgling government in 1790.
The Citizens of the United
States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to
mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of
imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of
citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by
the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of
their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States,
which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only
that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good
citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
I particularly admire
Washington’s closing comment. “… while every one (sic) shall sit in safety under
his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”
Again, this doesn’t apply to
Catholics? Nowadays, Catholics are afraid
their hospitals will be forced to perform abortions, their social service
agencies are afraid they’ll be forced to accept policies against their beliefs,
their schools be forced to teach prejudicial curriculum, and their churches be
forced to perform marriages that our religion forbids. Where or where is the vine and fig tree under
which Catholics can sit and not be afraid?
