On a night dedicated to recognizing and upholding religious freedom for all, key speaker and United States Senator John Kerry rallied behind a bill designed to protect the rights of people of faith, including Sabbath-keepers, in the workplace. Kerry spoke to a room of 200 guests at the fifth annual religious liberty dinner staged in the historic Caucus Room located in the Russell Senate office building on Thursday, May 17.

"We all uphold the right to practice what we believe as a matter of religious freedom. The ability to be able to do that is a crucial part of our national identity; [it] is what we hold up to other nations and it's what we take great pride in," Kerry told the gathering.

"If this bill goes through," Kerry said, "it will be a major success for religious liberty. I think it's a hallmark of where we are as a nation — in codifying people's ability to truly and freely practice their religions."

Three religious freedom outreaches sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church organized the dinner: Liberty magazine, the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), and the North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA). The dinner was attended by faith leaders from Catholic, Jewish and Protestant groups, foreign diplomats, representatives from various U.S. government departments, Adventist religious liberty activists and Adventist church leaders from around the world.

San Francisco attorney Fred Blum was among the honorees, being recognized for his 25 years of service to the cause of religious liberty, litigating numerous cases involving both the establishment and free exercise clauses, and most recently arguing a key Sabbath discrimination in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and representing the Vacaville Seventh-day Adventist Church in its bid to obtain approval for a radio station ministry on church property.

Earlier in the day, half a dozen members of the North American Religious Liberty Association West joined NARLA members from around the nation in visiting 51 members of Congress, and urging their support for two bills — the Workplace Religious Freedom Act and the Tobacco Family Prevention Act. Information about both bills is on the web at www.religiousliberty.info. The group also thanked a staffer for Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) for his support for the Workplace Religious Freedom Act and met with Lois Capps (D-CA) representing Santa Barbara, Ventura and Oxnard, and were given a private tour of the capitol by her staff. Staffers for Senators Boxer, Feinstein and McCain were very responsive to discussions of the need for both bills. Meanwhile, NARLA members were excited about the opportunity to impact their public officials on such important issues.

For more information about the North American Religious Liberty Association ways to make a difference in promoting religious freedom and help secure passage of important legislation, visit www.religiousliberty.info.