The National Day of Prayer Controversies

The National Day of Prayer Controversies

The National Day of prayer, established by federal statute in 1952 and fixed as the first Thursday in May in 1988, will go on as planned, although not without controversy.

One’s first inclination is to wonder how such an event could be controversial in any way since it permits all Americans to pray to any god they wish in whatever faith they wish or, if they wish, not to pray at all.

Nevertheless, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, cheered on by other atheist groups, filed suit in federal court to have the statute thrown out and a Wisconsin judge agreed with the plaintiff.

Judge Barbara Crabb ruled “that it violates the constitutional ban on government-backed religion,” http://tiny.cc/018r7, even though the government isn’t “backing” any religion with the non-denominational Day of Prayer.

The defendant, of all people, is President Barack Hussein Obama since he represents the federal government but Judge Crabb’s injunction will not take effect until all appeals are heard, meaning, I guess, that we won’t go to jail if we pray on May 6th.

Another cause of the controversy is the rumor that Obama had abolished the National Day of Prayer.

Whether Obama would like to or not, Snopes.com points out that what the president did was to refuse to host an ecumenical service in the White House, as George W. Bush had done, and instead issued a traditional presidential proclamation . . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=1666)