This Week in Christian History: RFRA, Oswald Chambers Dies, Billy Sunday Revival
Religious Freedom Restoration Act Becomes Law - November 16, 1993
This week marks the anniversary of when the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act became law, after being passed almost unanimously by Congress and signed by then President Bill Clinton.
RFRA was first introduced in response to the United States Supreme Court decision Employment Division v. Smith (1990), in which the high court upheld the firing of two Native Americans who lost their jobs due to using peyote as part of a religious ceremony.
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When commenting on the broad support for RFRA across religious and political lines, President Clinton quipped in a speech at the time that "the power of God is such that even in the legislative process miracles can happen."
"Usually the signing of legislation by a President is a ministerial act, often a quiet ending to a turbulent legislative process," added Clinton.
"Today this event assumes a more majestic quality because of our ability together to affirm the historic role that people of faith have played in the history of this country and the constitutional protections those who profess and express their faith have always demanded and cherished."
During the 2010s, many Christian businesses and nonprofits have appealed to RFRA in response to state-sponsored efforts to compel them to support liberal social positions on abortion and LGBT rights. These efforts have come with mixed results.
