While he knew that the Virginia Statute was as revolutionary as the era in which it was written, he also knew that interpretations of convenience come easily to people with opposing views.  The Statute was clear in stating that no one can be compelled to attend any religious institution or to underwrite it with taxes; that individuals are free to believe as they will and that this "shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." But Jefferson wanted to be even more specific about what was meant by all that.

So in his autobiography, Jefferson warily dotted the i's and cross the t's of history, lest anyone think there could be any exceptions. The statute, he wrote, contained "within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohametan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination."

The idea that Muslims (then-called Mohametans) would be equal in the eyes of the law with Christians of any flavor -- and anyone else -- has even greater meaning today than it did in the heady revolutionary days of 1777.

Indeed, President Obama held closely to the spirit and intention of Jefferson's reminder when he declared in his 2013 Religious Freedom Day Proclamation:

"...our Founders looked to the Statute as a model when they enshrined the principle of religious liberty in the Bill of Rights.

Because of the protections guaranteed by our Constitution, each of us has the right to practice our faith openly and as we choose. As a free country, our story has been shaped by every language and enriched by every culture. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Sikhs and non-believers. Our patchwork heritage is a strength we owe to our religious freedom.

Americans of every faith have molded the character of our Nation. They were pilgrims who sought refuge from persecution; pioneers who pursued brighter horizons; protesters who fought for abolition, women's suffrage, and civil rights. Each generation has seen people of different faiths join together to advance peace, justice, and dignity for all."

Religious Freedom Day thus affords all of us a great opportunity, for those who are religious and non-religious, for example, to agree on such a powerful thing as our common civil and constitutional rights, and to recognize the threat to those rights that we share.  We face similar challenges as the Religious Right seeks to redefine history for political advantage. That is smart politics because history is powerful. But too often, I think, we allow the Religious Right to go unchallenged, or inadequately challenged in these things.

But the good news is that history is on our side, and its not too late.