MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional Thursday, saying the day amounts to a call for religious action.
U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote that the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic.
“In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual’s decision whether and when to pray,” Crabb wrote.
Congress established the day in 1952 and in 1988 set the first Thursday in May as the day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison-based group of atheists and agnostics, filed a lawsuit against the federal government in 2008 arguing the day violated the separation of church and state.
President Barack Obama’s administration has countered that the statute simply acknowledges the role of religion in the United States. Obama issued a proclamation last year but did not hold public events with religious leaders as former President George W. Bush had done.
Reminds me of the passage – "Give God what is God's, give Caesar what is Ceasers." I agree (as a Christian) that our government should have no part in the practice of religion and we should always maintain a separation of church and state. With that said, I absolutely agree with Obama. The mention of religion in government is simply a proclamation and is not something that "needs" to be done. I think both the judge and the Freedom From Religion Foundation need to reassess what is truly a "breaking of law" compared to simple proclamation. I highly doubt that the National Day of Prayer is requiring you pray on that day or get jail time! (But, whoa, wouldn't that be hilarious!)