What religion would it be establishing? =P

jhnsn283..."If you have faith and wish to PRAY then PRAY, if you don't believe prayer works for you or you think it's pointless, then by golly, don't PRAY."

You're making it way too simple. Doing it your way leaves nothing for anyone to fight about. :)

I don't know Rebecca, it seems to me that if a National Day of Prayer is brought into being by passing a law then isn't that "respecting an establishment of religion"? albeit many religions instead of any one religion.

Now we all know that if we changed the word "prayer" to "reflection" or "contemplation" I doubt anybody would give a rats ass - except those who would like it changed back to prayer ;-)

Just my two cents

Even if it was all inclusive it is using tax-payers money to promote relgion. But evangelical christians have high-jacked the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Try helping out with official events if you are not a evangelical christian. The Task Force has made that pretty evident. Part of the reason the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit.

It's not unconstitutional to have a day of prayer. It would be unconstitutional to force everyone to take part or to make everyone convert to a religion. If the people want a day of prayer - why not give them one. Not everyone has to pray on that day. Now, if there is a concern that it's one step closer to a state organized religion then welcome to the tea party: fear of the pendulum swinging too far towards something undesirable. Just my thoughts as I unload groceries and scarf down some $1.50-off California rolls from HEB. =P

Would any of you all be interested in expressing your opinion in a Saturday article in this week's Faith section? I'd love to hear more of your opinions.
Please contact me at 361-580-6303, erodriguez@vicad.com or stop by at 311 E. Constitution St. in Victoria.

Sorry but it is unconstitutional for the United States government to have a day of prayer. And as far as tax dollars being spent on it how much does it cost to run the National Day of Prayer Task Force? I doubt it is free. And what about any ceremonial activity put on by the task force in the past? Finally what about the huge evangelical push the National Day of Prayer has. Do you want to be told you have to believe in Jesus? I think people that say if you don't want to pray don't are missing the point and don't realize what's behind the National Day of Prayer. It serves no secular purpose people. Our government is a secular government.

(FREETHINKER)- There are MANY things in this country that EXCLUDE one set of people from another set of people,based on MANY things, like race for one! Then there is religion of course, you can't say there should be no prayer because it excludes others. If they CHOOSE not to pray that is there CHOICE! No one is MAKING them pray or even being forced to observe it.

Whats NOT right is having one race colleges and funds that only benefit one side of humanity. (But, that's another story in itself, I don't want to take away from the point of this article.)

If you have faith and wish to PRAY then PRAY, if you don't believe prayer works for you or you think it's pointless, then by golly, don't PRAY.

It's not hard, but many choose to make it difficult!

freethinker,

What do you think the dollar cost is? The news organizations pick it up, that's free. I do not believe I have ever seen anything that looked like paid advertising for the National Day of Prayer.

As to government employees gathering for the actual event, they are not paid extra. It's all in a day's work.

I think your tax dollars are safe here (and this is probably one of the few times we can say that). And you are right, folks who pray do not need to be reminded. It's an observance, that's all.

Code,

"Freedom of Religion AND freedom FROM a religion seemingly were both evident in Jefferson's words. So, in my opinion, the separation works both ways: you are free to believe what you will but if your "sect" becomes the majority you shall not force others to submit to your belief by using the apparatus of government to do so.

Prayer is thought and we are all capable of reflection." Well said!

But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
Patrick T. Barnes
A "vountay" Day of Prayer is just as questionable as "voluntary moments of silence" in our public schools.

It's wrong because it uses tax payers money to promote religion. Why promote a day that excludes people who don't pray? And religious people who want to pray do not need to be reminded.

No one can dictate whether a person prays or not. Pray in silence.

Just so a "freedom" or a "right" doesn't eventually become a "mandate." If there is any freedom at all - there is freedom FROM.

"I am for freedom of religion, & against all maneuvres to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Elbridge Gerry, 1799

"[N]o man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."
-- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1779)

Freedom of Religion AND freedom FROM a religion seemingly were both evident in Jefferson's words. So, in my opinion, the separation works both ways: you are free to believe what you will but if your "sect" becomes the majority you shall not force others to submit to your belief by using the apparatus of government to do so.

As for a National Pray Day I cannot say whether or not it is legal but I do not see harm in having an occasion as long as it is inclusive of all belief and non belief....

Prayer is thought and we are all capable of reflection.

As Jefferson said: "History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes" (Letter to von Humboldt, 1813)

P.S. I meant to include the name of another religion after "Catholic" or re-word the sentence because the way I left that first sentence implied I didn't believe Catholics were Christians. It doesn't matter what I think but that ain't it.

I assumed that "separation of church and state" meant that if my president was Baptist or Christian then I wouldn't have to convert if I was Catholic. The president doesn't determine what religion the nation will be. We should always interpret everything in the context of freedom. But, if you are a believer, you know that the day of prayer is more official than any govt. recognized day. Public recognition might "cheapen" the idea for some.

The phrase "wall of separation between the church and the state" was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business.

This is why words, ideas and thoughts need to be be explored before exploited.