Update:  ADL applauded the Virginia Senate for rejecting the proposed amendment in committee.

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Washington, D.C., February 17, 2005 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has called on the Virginia Senate to reject HJ537, a proposed amendment to Section 16 of Virginia's Bill of Rights, "Free exercise of religion; no establishment of religion."

ADL has written to members of the Virginia Senate urging them to oppose the proposed legislation.  ADL strongly believes that HJ537 will undermine the free exercise of religion and the separation of church and state embodied in the First Amendment of Virginia's Bill of Rights. 

"Virginia is a cradle of religious liberty in the United States, home to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison," said David C. Friedman, Director of the Washington D.C. Regional Office.  "For over 200 years, Section 16 of Virginia's Bill of Rights has set the standard for religious freedom; HJ537 would tamper with this model and impair the religious freedom of Virginians."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.