A blogging friend of mine, Kansas Bob, posted a story that shows the continuing slide away from faith which we’re finding in this country. You can find his post here. He posted about a Wisconsin federal court decision that has deemed the National Day of Prayer to be unconstitutional. This decision was reached after the Freedom from Religion Foundation brought suit challenging the President’s authority to proclaim a National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday in May, a practice established in 1988.
Last year I did a bit of research about the National Day of Prayer and posted about it here. You may find the history of this day to be interesting, and the Court which declared it unconstitutional might find it instructive to realize that the notion of a time of prayer and fasting on behalf of our nation actually originated with the Continental Congress… the body which formulated our Constitution.
Like Kansas Bob, I’ve never observed the National Day of Prayer. But this year, I think I’ll try to spend some extra moments in prayer… Our nation was founded in part because people wanted to be free to practice their religion. To clamp down on any activity that is even remotely reminiscent of religious freedom is in opposition to the principles espoused by our founding fathers.
So please don't forget to join us in prayer on May 6, 2010.
Our parish has sponsored a National Day of Prayer event for the last 5 years. We have a meal and a speaker followed by communal prayer. This year a local Baptist minister will be our speaker. I encourage everyone to observe this day is some way!!! Cathy
ReplyDeleteInteresting - I can't even imagine having such a thing in this country. But there always seem to be National Days for something or other, which are largely ignored. Does your National Day of Prayer require all citizens to do or not do something? I was wondering why non-religious people would be bothered enough about it for it to go to a court in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHi Marion,
ReplyDeleteNo, citizens aren't required to do anything. In all honest, nothing is even hinted at - the National Day of Prayer is, as you say, largely ignored. But unfortunately there are people who are so anti-religion that they are willing to go to court and waste money to fight against anything that remotely resembles religious freedom.