Bill Text: VA HR141 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizing the influence of Christian heritage in Virginia.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-18 - Continued to 2017 in Rules by voice vote [HR141 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2016-HR141-Introduced.html
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16104592D WHEREAS, on April 26, 1607, a chartered expedition, subsidized by the Virginia Company to establish colonies on the coast of North America, disembarked upon the banks of Cape Henry, now Virginia Beach; and WHEREAS, the Reverend Robert Hunt, the expedition's official cleric, and the members of the expedition erected a wooden cross in symbolic reference to the Christian faith, invoked a public prayer of dedication, and pledged that the Gospel message of the New Testament Bible would be spread throughout the region and, from that region, abroad; and WHEREAS, the ensuing Jamestown settlement was the site of the first public communion ceremony in Virginia, in the tradition of the Lord's Supper of the New Testament; and WHEREAS, the Jamestown settlement was the first permanent English colony in North America and included a recognized church wherein Christian worship, teachings, and baptisms were conducted in accordance with the Gospel message, as exemplified by the conversion and baptism of Pocahontas, a member of the Powhatan tribe of Native Americans in the region; and WHEREAS, the Judeo-Christian principles, as set forth in the Law of Moses, of equality under the law and equal protection under the law have provided an incalculable influence on law throughout history and in particular to our shared English common law tradition and Western civilization; and WHEREAS, according to the Pew Research Center, millions of Virginians, representing various denominations, identify as Christians, carrying on the faith traditions brought to North America by its first settlers; and WHEREAS, thousands of churches in the Commonwealth continue to provide spiritual leadership and education; care for the poor, indigent, and homeless as commanded by the Gospel message; and conduct generous outreach in their communities; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the enormous influence of Christian heritage and faith throughout the Commonwealth's 400-year history be recognized; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to Rodney Walker and First-Landing Festivals, requesting that they further disseminate copies of this resolution to their respective constituents so that they may be apprised of the sense of the Virginia House of Delegates in this matter. |
