Yesterday (May 7) it was the National Day of Prayer in the United States of America. As dictated by law, the President must lead the nation in a call to prayer on this day. It was originally signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in 1952, and the date (the first Thursday in May) was decided upon by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Every President since has marked the occasion by leading the call to prayer in the U.S. and it was continued by current president Barack Obama.
This year however, the religious (Christian) right were out in force complaining about Obama's call to prayer. He did not do enough in their view: he merely issued the call. One woman said that it was indicative of Obama's lack of true faith in Christianity.
I would like to call out this ridiculous farce. Starting with the comments about Obama I would like to make it clear that he obeyed the law as it is. That was all he is required to do. The reason the Christians were upset is because after eight years of George Bush's Presidency they had gotten used to the National Day of Prayer as a bigger event. Bush took the day further than other Presidents and the Christian lobby simply became accustomed to it. Now they are upset because it is going back to how it was.
I have no sympathy whatsoever for their grievance. To me the National Day of Prayer itself is unconstitutional. The United States of America was founded on secular values. Religious people often say that it was founded on Judeo-Christian values but I disagree. God as an omniscient, omnipresent overseer is not referenced anywhere in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. The United States was formed as a rebellion against Britain - who have state sponsored religion. The First Amendment to the Constitution gives every person in the U.S. a guaranteed freedom of religion, as it was ruled that religion was a personal, private matter that the state had no business with.
Thomas Jefferson said that in America there would forever be a wall separating church and state. I would say that with a National Day of Prayer written into U.S. law the wall has a few pieces missing. These need to be replaced by the abolition of this law. If people want to pray in their own homes or places of worship they have every right (and that right should be protected), but as members of a free society Americans should not be called upon by the government to do so.
This year however, the religious (Christian) right were out in force complaining about Obama's call to prayer. He did not do enough in their view: he merely issued the call. One woman said that it was indicative of Obama's lack of true faith in Christianity.
I would like to call out this ridiculous farce. Starting with the comments about Obama I would like to make it clear that he obeyed the law as it is. That was all he is required to do. The reason the Christians were upset is because after eight years of George Bush's Presidency they had gotten used to the National Day of Prayer as a bigger event. Bush took the day further than other Presidents and the Christian lobby simply became accustomed to it. Now they are upset because it is going back to how it was.
I have no sympathy whatsoever for their grievance. To me the National Day of Prayer itself is unconstitutional. The United States of America was founded on secular values. Religious people often say that it was founded on Judeo-Christian values but I disagree. God as an omniscient, omnipresent overseer is not referenced anywhere in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. The United States was formed as a rebellion against Britain - who have state sponsored religion. The First Amendment to the Constitution gives every person in the U.S. a guaranteed freedom of religion, as it was ruled that religion was a personal, private matter that the state had no business with.
Thomas Jefferson said that in America there would forever be a wall separating church and state. I would say that with a National Day of Prayer written into U.S. law the wall has a few pieces missing. These need to be replaced by the abolition of this law. If people want to pray in their own homes or places of worship they have every right (and that right should be protected), but as members of a free society Americans should not be called upon by the government to do so.
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