{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-1.html"}],"law_id":86030,"edition_id":1,"section_id":86030,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-1","catch_line":"Act for religious freedom recited","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 34; 1985, c. 73.","full_text":"The General Assembly, on January 16, 1786, passed an act in the following words:\n\t\t“Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishment, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, have established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time; that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical, and even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporary rewards which, proceeding from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labors, for the instruction of mankind; that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends only to corrupt the principles of that religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though, indeed, those are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet, neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion, and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he, being of course judge of that tendency, will make his opinions the rules of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own; that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere, when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order; and finally, that truth is great and will prevail, if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:\n\t\t“Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested or burthened, in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.\n\t\t“And though we well know that this Assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies constituted with powers equal to our own, and that, therefore, to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind; and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.”","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":308090,"text":"The General Assembly, on January 16, 1786, passed an act in the following words:\n\t\t“Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishment, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, have established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time; that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical, and even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporary rewards which, proceeding from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labors, for the instruction of mankind; that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends only to corrupt the principles of that religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though, indeed, those are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet, neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion, and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he, being of course judge of that tendency, will make his opinions the rules of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own; that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere, when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order; and finally, that truth is great and will prevail, if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:\n\t\t“Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested or burthened, in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.\n\t\t“And though we well know that this Assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies constituted with powers equal to our own, and that, therefore, to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind; and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.”","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16135,"edition_id":1,"name":"Religious Freedom","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13324,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:07:13","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:07:13","permalink":{"id":251503,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16135,"identifier":"1","token":"57\/1","url":"\/57\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13324,"edition_id":1,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251501,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13324,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":86030,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-1","catch_line":"Act for religious freedom recited","url":"\/57-1\/","token":"57\/1\/57-1","metadata":false},{"id":76271,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-2","catch_line":"Rights asserted therein reaffirmed","url":"\/57-2\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2","metadata":false},{"id":77309,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-2.01","catch_line":"Religious Freedom Week and Day","url":"\/57-2.01\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.01","metadata":false},{"id":64035,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-2.02","catch_line":"Religious freedom preserved; definitions; applicability; construction; remedies","url":"\/57-2.02\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.02","metadata":false},{"id":85631,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-2.1","catch_line":"Advertising by hotels, etc., that persons find objectionable because of religion; exemptions","url":"\/57-2.1\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":76271,"structure_id":16135,"section_number":"57-2","catch_line":"Rights asserted therein reaffirmed","url":"\/57-2\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-1\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1985, chapter 73.<\/p>","references":[{"id":76271,"section_number":"57-2","catch_line":"Rights asserted therein reaffirmed","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-2\/"},{"id":64035,"section_number":"57-2.02","catch_line":"Religious freedom preserved; definitions; applicability; construction; remedies","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-2.02\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":251505,"object_type":"law","relational_id":86030,"identifier":"57-1","token":"57\/1\/57-1","url":"\/57-1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-1\/","token":"57\/1\/57-1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Act for religious freedom recited","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The General Assembly, on January 16, 1786, passed an act in the following words:\n\t\t“Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishment, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do; that the impious presumption<\/span> of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions<\/span> and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, have established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time; that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions<\/span> which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical, and even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporary rewards which, proceeding from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labors, for the instruction of mankind; that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions<\/span> any more than our opinions<\/span> in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion<\/span>, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges<\/span> and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends only to corrupt the principles of that religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though, indeed, those are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet, neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil magistrate<\/span> to intrude his powers into the field of opinion<\/span>, and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he, being of course judge<\/span> of that tendency, will make his opinions<\/span> the rules of judgment<\/span>, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own; that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere, when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order<\/span>; and finally, that truth is great and will prevail, if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:\n\t\t“Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested or burthened, in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions<\/span> or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions<\/span> in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.\n\t\t“And though we well know that this Assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies constituted with powers equal to our own, and that, therefore, to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law<\/span>; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind; and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right.”<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nACT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RECITED (\u00a7 57-1)\n\nThe General Assembly, on January 16, 1786, passed an act in the following words:\n\t\t“Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to\ninfluence it by temporal punishment, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations,\ntend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from\nthe plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord both of body and\nmind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his\nAlmighty power to do; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers,\ncivil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and\nuninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their\nown opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such\nendeavoring to impose them on others, have established and maintained false\nreligions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time; that to\ncompel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions\nwhich he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical, and even the forcing him to\nsupport this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him\nof the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor\nwhose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most\npersuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those\ntemporary rewards which, proceeding from an approbation of their personal\nconduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labors, for the\ninstruction of mankind; that our civil rights have no dependence on our\nreligious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that\ntherefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by\nlaying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument,\nunless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him\ninjuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his\nfellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends only to corrupt the\nprinciples of that religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a\nmonopoly of worldly honors and emoluments, those who will externally profess and\nconform to it; that though, indeed, those are criminal who do not withstand such\ntemptation, yet, neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that\nto suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion,\nand to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of\ntheir ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious\nliberty, because he, being of course judge of that tendency, will make his\nopinions the rules of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others\nonly as they shall square with or differ from his own; that it is time enough\nfor the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere,\nwhen principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order; and\nfinally, that truth is great and will prevail, if left to herself; that she is\nthe proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the\nconflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free\nargument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely\nto contradict them:\n\t\t“Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled\nto frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever, nor\nshall be enforced, restrained, molested or burthened, in his body or goods, nor\nshall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that\nall men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in\nmatters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or\naffect their civil capacities.\n\t\t“And though we well know that this Assembly, elected by the people for\nthe ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of\nsucceeding assemblies constituted with powers equal to our own, and that,\ntherefore, to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law;\nyet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are\nof the natural rights of mankind; and that if any act shall be hereafter passed\nto repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act will be an\ninfringement of natural right.”\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 34; 1985, c. 73.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}