So, no more National Day of Prayer

[Jaecp]

Thoughts?

[robertb]

About time.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

[Seasanctuary]

Our religious liberties are under assault when the government won't officially prefer and celebrate interventionist theism!!!

[DesertBerean]

What a shame.

[Pilgrim]

About time.

You forgot this part:

"or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The president, reacting to the clearly wrong headed ruling said that he would observe the day of prayer anyway. That should tell us something.

The National Day of prayer is a non sectarian call to prayer. It respects no particular religion or faith and even invites ahtiests to join in "praying" to other citizens in some places. No government official is required to participate or endorse the day and it takes place on public property which the government must grant equal access to.

We are a nation too easily offended and have forgotten what it means to be truly tolerant.

[Pilgrim]

Our religious liberties are under assault when the government won't officially prefer and celebrate interventionist theism!!!

No official is required or even asked to endorse the national day of prayer and the national day of prayer invites even non theists to participation. "prayer" is not a uniquely theological term. It simply means "to ask" or "to plead."

Again, you all forget the "or restrict the free excercise there of" portion of the statement. I'm glad the president said he will be observing the National Day of Prayer regardless.

[robertb]

You forgot this part:

"or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The president, reacting to the clearly wrong headed ruling said that he would observe the day of prayer anyway. That should tell us something.

The National Day of prayer is a non sectarian call to prayer. It respects no particular religion or faith and even invites ahtiests to join in "praying" to other citizens in some places. No government official is required to participate or endorse the day and it takes place on public property which the government must grant equal access to.

We are a nation too easily offended and have forgotten what it means to be truly tolerant.

This is not about being offended. This is about the fact that Government has no business even being involved, based on the first amendment.

If a church group, or any other, would like to have a day of prayer, they are free to and rightly so.

[Pilgrim]

The government is not involved, it's only allowing a petition by the people to go forward. Thus not violating the part of the first amendment you're over looking.

[Philosophickle]

It was creepy anyway.

[robertb]

The government is not involved, it's only allowing a petition by the people to go forward. Thus not violating the part of the first amendment you're over looking.

History would disagree, Pilgrim...

1952-APR-17: A bill proclaiming an annual National Day of Prayer (NDP) was unanimously passed by both houses of congress. President Truman signed it into law. It required the President to select a day for national prayer each year.

For the first time in U.S. history, a bill enacting a permanent national day of prayer passed both houses. The Senate bill, S. 1378, was introduced by South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, while the House version was introduced by Ohio democrat Tony Hall.

The measure amends a 1952 law which required the president to proclaim a day of his choosing each year. President Reagan signed the bill into law in the Oval Office on May 5th and read a prayer translated from Russian. The prayer was found on a young soldier, Alexander Zatzepa, who was killed in action in 1944.

[Seasanctuary]

No official is required or even asked to endorse the national day of prayer

From the U.S.C.

The President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.

The President counts as an official, right? And the phrase "may turn to God" is not an exception to a 364 day ban on prayer, which indicates it means something like "are encouraged to turn to God."

and the national day of prayer invites even non theists to participation. "prayer" is not a uniquely theological term. It simply means "to ask" or "to plead."

Even if the law did not specify prayer to God — which it does — that is hardly a convincing way to include Atheists, Agnostics, Pantheists, or even the sort of Deists who do not pray to God.

Again, you all forget the "or restrict the free excercise there of" portion of the statement.

The only exercise I would restrict is breaking government neutrality toward religion. People accustomed to the government endorsing their kind of religious beliefs over other religious beliefs are often — in my view — unwilling to think in a principled way about this issue. It is no different than male citizens or white citizens who felt like their rights were being diminished by the extension of equal treatment to others.

I'm glad the president said he will be observing the National Day of Prayer regardless.

I fully support the right of any office holder to observe his or her own religion. There is a very important distinction between citizens in government freely exercising religion and the government itself being treated as a strategic convert.

[mossrose]

I think they should do away with Earth Day, too.

Under the same amendment to the constitution and the fact that environmentalism is now a religion.

:smugmossy:

[The Pixie]

No official is required or even asked to endorse the national day of prayer and the national day of prayer invites even non theists to participation. "prayer" is not a uniquely theological term. It simply means "to ask" or "to plead.

Who do you think atheists should plead to on a day of pray?

[robertb]

Who do you think atheists should plead to on a day of pray?

Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris, you know, the trinity, I suppose...

[Jaecp]

Pilgrim,

Not having a government sponsored day of prayer doesn't restrict your ability to carry on whatever religious aspects you wish to conduct in any fashion.