Comparing and Contrasting the Committee Draft with the Virginia Statute

The Committee Draft of a Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom serve as early outlines of the principles on which Virginia's government and consequently, the government of the United States was formed. Both documents aim to outline the rights of Virginia's citizens both in regards to broad-scoped governing ideas and also more specific details that deal with religious freedom. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom seemingly expands on notions within the Virginia committee draft to more explicitly state how religious rights are to be handled by civil servants. The documents, when compared against each other, can be better understood not only within the context of each other, but also within the historical atmosphere of the time.

The differences between the two documents are evident simply from their presentations. While the Virginia Statute is organized and worded in a way that exudes passion for freedoms of religion, the Virginia draft is organized by number; the latter document shows rights that clearly expand beyond religious rights. The roots of this difference stems from the differing natures of the two documents. They each have their own purpose. The Virginia draft is meant to declare rights for the entire population, especially those that guarantee the populace the right to practice religion, while, in contrast, the Virginia Statute expands the guidelines of the rights by which the government shall not impose religion on the public.