Letter to the Editor

Editor’s Note: Today we kick-off our Letters to the Editor section, which will run on Sundays. Have a comment on a local issue, or want to respond to something you’ve read in our pages? E-mail the editor at mdavis@fxbgadvance.com.

We’re honored that our inaugural letter is a tribute to the 247th anniversary of Jefferson's "Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom," which was celebrated in Fredericksburg on Sunday January 14, 2024. 

A fanciful letter, based on known history

A Letter To All Houses of Worship in Fredericksburg & Nearby:

I trust this letter finds you well.  I am honored that the kind citizens of Fredericksburg continue their yearly celebration of my Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, which I wrote during 1777, after visiting your lovely town in early January of that year.  Please allow me some clarification.  First, many in Fredericksburg appear to think that I drafted the bill during my stay in Fredericksburg.  I admit that memory can be hazy, but I can assure your readers that it would be unlikely that I could compose the bill in the short space of several days.  The five of us charged with revising the laws planned that week simply to settle the plan of operation and to distribute the work.  I don’t remember doing much on the bill before returning home to Charlottesville.  In my 1825 autobiography, I did note that I completed the bill during 1777, most of which time I believe I was at Monticello. It was indeed in Fredericksburg, though, that I took to myself the responsibility of writing the bill.

You are likely aware from my epitaph, which I wrote myself, that I wished to be remembered for three accomplishments, to wit, the Declaration of Independence, the founding of the University of Virginia, and (listed on my headstone between the first two), the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.  Therefore, let me call attention to the thrust of the Statute, which is still in the Code of Virginia:  “…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 opinion or beliefs.  But that all men shall be free to profess, and, by argument, to maintain their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same will in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.” 

Finally, let me share with your kind readers my conviction that the General Assembly, by rejecting the insertion of the words “Jesus Christ” in the final law, intended to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Muslim, the Hindoo, and infidel of every denomination.  Particularly at moments of public strife, which recur from time to time, we do well to remember that the law protects our right to believe, or not believe, as we wish.

Please accept my sincere wishes for the New Year.  I remain,

Your humble servant,

T. Jefferson. 

Submitted by R. Kravetz of Fredericksburg

Local Obituaries

To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit our website at the link that follows.

Weather and Traffic

Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism

In less than a year, FXBG Advance has become the news leader in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford through its innovative mix of:

• Twice-daily newsletter - At 6 AM and 5 PM every Monday through Friday, the Advance brings the most important news directly to your inbox.

• Education Reporting - Adele Uphaus has won multiple awards for her coverage of education issues locally and across the state. Now, she brings her experience, insights, and expertise to the Advance, providing our citizens some of the finest education writing and reporting in the commonwealth.

• Political Reporting - From council meetings to campaigns, and fundraising to finance, the Advance is returning the Fourth Estate to its rightful place as a government watch dog.

• Breaking News - From court cases to high-profile government moves, the Advance is the first to inform residents.

• Investigative Journalism - Last year, the Advance broke major stories around improperly filed election documents, misleading sample ballots, disenfranchising Spotsylvania Count School parents, and book bans.

• Election Coverage - The Advance offered the most complete coverage of the 2023 election, with in-depth candidate profiles, daily tracking of events, leading debates, and pre-dawn to post-midnight Election Day coverage. And 2024 brings even greater coverage.

• Spotlights - From local businesses to nonprofit organizations and regional leaders, the Advance brings the people who make things happen to your attention.

• Multi-partisan Commentary - Martin Davis is a 20-plus-year journalist recognized for superior commentary and political writing; Shaun Kenney has his hands on the pulse of political leaders across the Commonwealth. Together, they bring an unparalleled level of analysis and insight into the issues that drive debate in our region.

• Political Cartoons - Clay Jones is a nationally recognized talent who draws weekly for CNN. He has returned to Fredericksburg to level his critical eye and razor-sharp drawing at the topics which make us both laugh, and look closer at ourselves.

• New Dominion Podcast - Each week, Martin Davis and Shaun Kenney interview guests from across the region and the state. Growing to over 1,000 listeners in just six months, NDP has become a leading force in political, cultural, and social discussion.

We thank each and every one of you who have made the Advance a part of your day, and we’re excited to say that more-exciting announcements are just around the corner as we continue to innovate and expand our coverage of the region.

The donations of individual readers have made this year possible. Please join the hundreds who are supporting excellence in journalism by subscribing for just $8 a month.

Where does your money go?

It goes to support the great journalists we have - like Adele Uphaus - and the ones we look to hire in the year ahead.

If you can spare $8 a month, we’ll be both grateful, and reward your trust in us with more journalism, more stories, and more connections to organizations and people who make our region a great place to live.

If you can’t, thank you for reading the FXBG Advance!, and consider sharing us with your friends.

In 2024, let’s build an even better Advance - together!

Thank you for reading and supporting FXBG Advance.

-Martin Davis, Editor-in-Chief