Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject House Bill 2029 as unnecessary and inconsistent with our core constitutional principles, and affirming that the Council of the City of Philadelphia welcomes all religious beliefs, traditions and heritages, and has full confidence in the U.S. Constitution and the laws of the state of Pennsylvania and does not entertain any concern that any foreign or religious law offers a threat to the law of the land.

WHEREAS, The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of our nation, and this body has full confidence in its ability to endure all tests; and

WHEREAS, Many immigrants came to our nation to escape government-sanctioned persecution of their faith; and

WHEREAS, This body believes that any law which is designed to restrict the liberty of one faith tradition erodes the founding principle of religious liberty and that it is, as James Madison wrote in 1785, proper to “take alarm” at any such “experiment on our liberties”; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has a history of embracing individuals' right to practice the faith tradition of their choice within the law and free of government interference; and

WHEREAS, A multiplicity of religious beliefs, traditions and heritages bring strength to our city and state; and

WHEREAS, This body believes that it is not the role of the legislature of Pennsylvania to disparage or marginalize any religious tradition; and

WHEREAS, This body finds abhorrent all forms of discrimination, including those forms of discrimination targeting religion or belief; and

WHEREAS, Our City and state benefit from the many individuals and institutions whose faith motivates them to provide food to the hungry, shelter to the needy, inexpensive or free health services and other humanitarian services; and

WHEREAS, Religious leaders who facilitate conflict resolution often achieve judicially-sanctioned results that ease the burdens on our courts; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the City of Philadelphia welcomes all religious beliefs, traditions and heritages, and that this body has full confidence in the U.S. Constitution and the laws of the state of Pennsylvania and does not entertain any concern that any foreign or religious law offers a threat to the law of the land.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That Council does hereby urge the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject House Bill 2029 as unnecessary and inconsistent with our core constitutional principles.

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