Last week a federal court in Wisconsin ruled that the National Day of Prayer was a violation of the First Amendment separation of church and state, ending a more than 50 year tradition of government sanctioned promotion of non-denominational prayer on a designated day each May.
President Obama declared that he will continue the tradition of designating a day as the National Day of Prayer despite the court's ruling that such an observance is unconstitutional. Although he issued such a proclamation last year he did not hold any observances or services at the White House in recognition of the National Day of Prayer, unlike all of his predecessors going back to Harry Truman.
The ruling came as a result of a case filed by the Freedom from Religion Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin. Judge Barbara Crabb ruled that the government cannot call for people to engage in a specific religious activity, saying that the National Day of Prayer's "sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context," and that "the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience."
President Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said that the ruling "shows the brooding hostility toward religion that exists at some levels of federal, state and local government in this country."
Critics of the National Day of Prayer have been concerned that it has been transformed from a simple observance of the tradition of non-denominational prayer to an opportunity for aggressive proselytizing by extreme evangelical churches, particularly targeting the public schools.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Les Slater
During the height of the McCarthy witch hunt:
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.
2 - Baronius
The current law states:
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.
I'm somewhat sympathetic to this decision, even though I don't see how a reasonable nonbeliever could feel that this law pressures him. I'd have no problem with Congress or the president declaring a National Day of Prayer, but there is something odd about Congress mandating that the president declare it. That's kind of "establishmenty". Congress could easily sign a resolution expressing the sense of Congress in support of a National Day of Prayer, and rephrase "turn to God" into something more innocuous.
3 - handyguy
Note that "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. At the time, I bet there was little or no controversy about either that or the National Day of Prayer. A more innocent era, or a more brainwashed one?
I would also note that Mr. Obama continues to participate in the National Prayer Breakfast sponsored by that mysterious, vaguely pro-totalitarian [or just pro-power] religious group The Fellowship aka The Family of "C Street House" infamy.
4 - Les Slater
While we’re at it, from Wikipedia:
“Legislation approved July 11, 1955, made the appearance of ‘In God We Trust’ mandatory on all coins and paper currency of the United States. This was influenced by the Red Scare sentiment of the time, reacting to the threat posed by ‘godless Communism’.”
5 - Dr Dreadful
I pretty much agree with Baronius here. Having the President designate a National Day of Prayer as a sort of tradition is one thing; Congress passing a law forcing him to do it is another.
The whole idea is pretty daft anyway. People pray every day and whenever and wherever they want to without needing an endorsement from the White House. It makes about as much sense as having a "National Go to Work Day".
I will say, though, that it is something of a stretch to call a National Day of Prayer an "establishment of religion".
6 - Baronius
Les, not to tread on tired ground, but you do realize that Communist spies had infiltrated the US government and committed treason, right? I mean, it's not a "witch hunt" if the witches are real; it's a "hunt".
7 - Baronius
Dread, the president had been designating a National Day of Prayer for years; Congress passed the law to make it the same day every year. Which is the kind of thing you could do by asking.
8 - Les Slater
Baronius 6,
What are you talking about? Are you implying the U.S. was, or is, innocent with regards to espionage? Or is it, ‘our’ espionage, but not 'theirs', justified?
9 - Dave Nalle
Les, I think he's just saying that there was some substance to the allegations that there were communists in the government. Which has nothing at all to do with the topic of this article.
As for the National Day of Prayer, I think the key to it is in the last paragraph of this article which addresses an aspect of this issue which most coverage of the NDAP does not address. Specifically the efforts in the last few years of James Dobson and his wife and their ministry and organizations to take over the event and use it as the basis for aggressive proselytizing activities in the public schools. I think THAT is the best argument against the NDAP.
Dave
10 - Baronius
Les, it's funny that you write off 20th-century communism as "totalitarianism" but still get very protective of the people involved in it.
11 - John Wilson
Perhaps it is the case that one of the reasons the US and USSR did not lightoff a nuke war to destroy the world was because each side had sufficient spies in each others systems to see and understand real policy and not be deceived by political saber rattling.
Sometimes it's useful to have enemy spies in your system.
12 - Cindy
I mean, it's not a "witch hunt" if the witches are real; it's a "hunt".
It is if the people you are continually going after are NOT communist spies!
13 - Cindy
During the post-World War II era of McCarthyism, many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned,[1] laws that would be declared unconstitutional,[2] dismissals for reasons later declared illegal[3] or actionable,[4] or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.
Baronius,
How can you be defending that? I thought you said you were a libertarian? Is it because McCarthyism mostly hurt leftists that made a govt sponsored witch hunt against citizens okay?
14 - zingzing
catching all the real communist spies in the world (how many did they really catch?) couldn't possibly justify the lives that mccarthyism destroyed. it was a pathetic moment in american history. an absolutely disgusting display of tyranny from the right and cowardice from the left.
15 - handyguy
It is not dissimilar to the Cheneyite view that locking up hundreds of innocent [or at least non-terrorist] detainees at Guantanamo was worth it because in that huge [immoral, illegal] net we possibly also caught a few actual terrorists.
16 - handyguy
Sarah Palin has had a few words of wisdom to add to this issue:
"I beg you, Women of Joy, to bring light and be involved, loving America and praying for her. Really, it is our solemn duty. Praying for true spiritual awakening to overcome deterioration. That is where God wants us to be.
"Lest anyone try to convince you that God should be separated from the state, our Founding Fathers, they were believers. And George Washington, he saw faith in God as basic to life."
She denounced this week’s Wisconsin federal court ruling that government observance of a National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional - which the crowd joined in booing. She asserted that America needs to get back to its Christian roots and rejected any notion that “God should be separated from the state.”
“Hearing any leader declare that America isn’t a Christian nation and poking at allies like Israel in the eye - it is mind-boggling to see some of our nation’s actions recently, but politics truly is a topic for another day,” Palin said.
A topic for another day, and, we pray, a different speaker. She's always good for some eye rolling and sputtering laughter of disbelief, though
17 - roger nowosielski
"In his provocative paper on 'The Uses of Diversity,' Professor Geertz asserts that ethnocentrism relegates gaps and asymmetries between individuals or groups to 'a realm of repressible or ignorable difference, mere unlikeness.' This is a good description of how we treat people whom we think not worth understanding: those whom we regard as irredeemably crazy, stupid, base, or sinful. Such people are not viewed as possible conversational partners . . . . We think we have nothing to learn from such people, for we would rather die than share the beliefs which we assume are central to their self-identities. Some people think of Jews or atheists in these terms. Others think this way about Nazis or religious fundamentalists. [Others yet might think this way about Baronius.]"
Richard Rorty, Objectivity, Relativism, and Truth, p. 203
18 - Les Slater
Dave,
"Which has nothing at all to do with the topic of this article."
But it does. The passing of the bill in question certainly had much to do the political climate at the time.
Cindy,
"Is it because McCarthyism mostly hurt leftists that made a govt sponsored witch hunt against citizens okay?"
McCarthyism was instrument of attack on the vast majority of the population, most of whom were not leftists of any sort. The attack was aimed at intimidating any who'd dare question any aspects of society in general and government in particular.
It hurt the majority, not just leftists. Any celebration of that is just plain disgusting.
19 - Les Slater
[Others yet might think this way about Baronius.]
Not me.
20 - roger nowosielski
I am not there yet either.
21 - Baronius
I'm not defending every action from the McCarthy era, or even most actions. But for someone like Les to hide behind the phrase "witch hunt" really raises my hackles.
I know it's the internet's most overused analogy, but it would be like someone coming on these boards, espousing Nazism, and complaining about the Nuremberg trials. You know what, there probably were injustices at those trials, but that doesn't make Nazism any less repulsive. It offends me just as much that Les expects to be treated like civilized company.
22 - Les Slater
Baronius,
The Nazis, they were just caretakers for German capitalist imperialism. They, including Hitler, were not enemies of the U.S. capitalist class. Many a serious U.S. capitalist cheered the regime on, e.g. Ford, Rockefeller, Kennedy and others. They were only embarrassed when the Hitler regime interfered with their colonial prerogatives. Nuremburg? It was a show trial; The U.S. and other imperialist powers found safe havens for many a notorious Nazi.
23 - roger nowosielski
Yet, Les extended his courtesy to you, Baronius, to treat you in a civilized way.
Besides, to compare the Nuremberg trials to McCarthyism is but a Jedi mind trick. Whatever communists sympathizers there were, aside from the hard-core spies, they could rightly be viewed as patriotic Americans objecting to the brutality of the capitalist machine against the workers, labor unions, Negroes, women - backed by the powers of the state. It was a dark period of American history, yet you seem to be defending it.
Which is precisely why I'm far less tolerant of your views than Les, bless his heart, happens to be. You deserve to be ostracized from the civil community, made to stand in the corner and administered lashes, in order to bring you around.
Keep on talking, and soon you'll be the majority of one.
24 - zingzing
nuremburg also wasn't a case of one's own country terrorizing the populace. and mccarthyism was similar to a witch hunt in many cases. the mere innuendo that you might be a communist, or you participated in communist gatherings 30 years prior could be enough to destroy your life. people would denounce political and personal enemies.
it's disturbing that anyone would defend any of it. that's the kind of thinking that allows these things to happen in the first place.
25 - Cindy
18 - Les,
Thanks. That makes sense.