National Day of Prayer 2010

PhillieG

For those who do pray, do you need a day set aside for prayer? Do you think that the govt is obligated to proclaim the day as a National Day of Prayer or should it be left up to private churches and other non-governmental institutions to setup this day?

For those who do not pray are you offended or do you feel that that govt is TELLING us we MUST pray or do you see it as something that is optional and take it as an opportunity to think good thoughts and wish mankind (and womankind) well?

So...what's everyone's take on this?
Me? I do not feel that I am being forced to pray at all. I really don't see it as a big issue but I do think that this goes against separation of church and state. I'm certainly not going to go out and protest it.

I know many of our founding fathers were greatly influenced by Christian values and Equality for all but I'm not sure if they gave their slaves the day off for National Prayer Day.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2010

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Throughout our history, whether in times of great joy and thanksgiving, or in times of great challenge and uncertainty, Americans have turned to prayer. In prayer, we have expressed gratitude and humility, sought guidance and forgiveness, and received inspiration and assistance, both in good times and in bad.

On this day, let us give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon our Nation. Let us rejoice for the blessing of freedom both to believe and to live our beliefs, and for the many other freedoms and opportunities that bring us together as one Nation. Let us ask for wisdom, compassion, and discernment of justice as we address the great challenges of our time.

We are blessed to live in a Nation that counts freedom of conscience and free exercise of religion among its most fundamental principles, thereby ensuring that all people of goodwill may hold and practice their beliefs according to the dictates of their consciences. Prayer has been a sustaining way for many Americans of diverse faiths to express their most cherished beliefs, and thus we have long deemed it fitting and proper to publicly recognize the importance of prayer on this day across the Nation.

Let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those suffering from natural disasters in Haiti, Chile, and elsewhere, and the people from those countries and from around the world who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to render aid. Let us pray for the families of the West Virginia miners, and the people of Poland who so recently and unexpectedly lost many of their beloved leaders. Let us pray for the safety and success of those who have left home to serve in our Armed Forces, putting their lives at risk in order to make the world a safer place. As we remember them, let us not forget their families and the substantial sacrifices that they make every day. Let us remember the unsung heroes who struggle to build their communities, raise their families, and help their neighbors, for they are the wellspring of our greatness. Finally, let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those people everywhere who join us in the aspiration for a world that is just, peaceful, free, and respectful of the dignity of every human being.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 6, 2010, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon the citizens of our Nation to pray, or otherwise give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, grace, and protection as we meet the challenges before us.

Today
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

PhillieG

Well?
Is everyone too busy praying to comment?
;-)

Nana b

PhillieG said:

Well?
Is everyone too busy praying to comment?
;-)

Hola Phil!
I didn't even know that it was Prayer Day. I personally pray everyday, but maybe what he is trying to do is send a powerful prayer to those individuals he mentions, they say prayer in groups is a lot more powerful, the one alone!

We definitely don't need to make it a holiday!

Amen!

PhillieG

Nana b said:

Hola Phil!
I didn't even know that it was Prayer Day. I personally pray everyday, but maybe what he is trying to do is send a powerful prayer to those individuals he mentions, they say prayer in groups is a lot more powerful, the one alone!

We definitely don't need to make it a holiday!

Amen!

Hi Nana
This has been an annual event for something like 56 years. I really wasn't aware of it either. Could you imagine if they made it a National Holiday?
"Your Prayers Have Been Answered! Big Sale Today"
Good grief!!!

Hondo

PhillieG said:

Hi Nana
This has been an annual event for something like 56 years. I really wasn't aware of it either. Could you imagine if they made it a National Holiday?
"Your Prayers Have Been Answered! Big Sale Today"
Good grief!!!

HI Phil
NDOP

As you know I am not big on Government telling me anything that I can or can’t do, so I don’t see the need for a Government sponsored or enforce day of prayer. I believe we are all free and can pray anytime we want as Christians. What I believe would be better is for all Christians to all come and have a day of prayer with out the backing of any Government.

Government and Religion makes for a bad combination

PhillieG

Hondo said:

HI Phil
NDOP

As you know I am not big on Government telling me anything that I can or can’t do, so I don’t see the need for a Government sponsored or enforce day of prayer. I believe we are all free and can pray anytime we want as Christians. What I believe would be better is for all Christians to all come and have a day of prayer with out the backing of any Government.

Government and Religion makes for a bad combination

I Agree
But of course many are protesting rulings like these over the country. It's sort of like the flag burning issue. What makes our country GREAT is that you CAN burn the flag in protest. I do not think burning our flag is a good thing at all but to ban that goes against what we stand for...freedom.

MADISON, Wis. – Since U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, critics have declared what they think of her: A Marxist. A moron. A disgrace.

One person wrote that he was praying God removes her from office. Several warned she is headed to hell. GOP Rep. Ted Poe of Texas took to the House floor to taunt: "What's next, Judge Crabb? You going to ban Thanksgiving and Christmas as national holidays?"

Crabb, a 31-year veteran of the bench in this liberal state capital, has faced harsh criticism before. Those close to her say she isn't afraid of it.
In her ruling last month, Crabb said the law creating the tradition being observed Thursday is an unconstitutional call to religious action. She quickly became a magnet in the contentious debate over the role of religion in public life — denounced by Christian activists for overstepping but hailed as courageous by atheists, agnostics and non-Christians who feel excluded from the day...

...The 71-year-old judge, who declined an interview request, has never been afraid to make rulings unpopular with "Joe Blow on the street" when she believes the law calls for it, said Krista Ralston, who was Crabb's first law clerk after she was promoted to judge three decades ago.

In the late 1980s, protesters burned Crabb's likeness in effigy after she allowed Indian tribes to spearfish off their reservations — a practice some white fishermen believed ruined their sport. Demonstrators threw rocks, uttered racial slurs and accused Crabb of giving Indians special treatment.

Hondo

PhillieG said:

I Agree
But of course many are protesting rulings like these over the country. It's sort of like the flag burning issue. What makes our country GREAT is that you CAN burn the flag in protest. I do not think burning our flag is a good thing at all but to ban that goes against what we stand for...freedom.

MADISON, Wis. – Since U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, critics have declared what they think of her: A Marxist. A moron. A disgrace.

One person wrote that he was praying God removes her from office. Several warned she is headed to hell. GOP Rep. Ted Poe of Texas took to the House floor to taunt: "What's next, Judge Crabb? You going to ban Thanksgiving and Christmas as national holidays?"

Crabb, a 31-year veteran of the bench in this liberal state capital, has faced harsh criticism before. Those close to her say she isn't afraid of it.
In her ruling last month, Crabb said the law creating the tradition being observed Thursday is an unconstitutional call to religious action. She quickly became a magnet in the contentious debate over the role of religion in public life — denounced by Christian activists for overstepping but hailed as courageous by atheists, agnostics and non-Christians who feel excluded from the day...

...The 71-year-old judge, who declined an interview request, has never been afraid to make rulings unpopular with "Joe Blow on the street" when she believes the law calls for it, said Krista Ralston, who was Crabb's first law clerk after she was promoted to judge three decades ago.

In the late 1980s, protesters burned Crabb's likeness in effigy after she allowed Indian tribes to spearfish off their reservations — a practice some white fishermen believed ruined their sport. Demonstrators threw rocks, uttered racial slurs and accused Crabb of giving Indians special treatment.

Phil
I don’t believe in government backed prayer in Schools, my children went to public school all there life and never once had a problem praying when they wanted too. No one ever tried to stop them if they blessed there food before eating, or said a silent prayer before a test. So I don’t see why government force pray is needed in public schools.

I was told that as a Christian how I could side with the government on this, and so I said I am not on the government side. If the government is to force prayer in public school, who’s prayer is it going to be Catholic pray, Baptist pray, Jehovah witness pray, Muslim pray or will it be left up to the teachers faith what so ever that might be. What if the teacher is an agnostic or atheist will it be a atheist prayer.

So you see the point is we don’t need the government to force or tell us by law that there will be government backed prayer in our public schools. We as Christians need to teach our Children about God at home and let them learned by example of watching what there parents do.

dianetavegia

Didn't attend Phil
I think stuff like that is silly. I'm sure some people show up just to get their picture in the paper. I don't need a reminder to pray, it's a way of life.

Hondo

dianetavegia said:

Didn't attend Phil
I think stuff like that is silly. I'm sure some people show up just to get their picture in the paper. I don't need a reminder to pray, it's a way of life.

Hi diane
I believe you hit the nail right on the head when you said Prayer is a way of life. Prayer should be the way of life for anyone who claims to be a Christian, and the word Christian meaning Christ Likeness, who was a man of prayers.

PhillieG

Keep them Separate
They (church/state) should remain separate. Truman started it in 1952 by saying there should be one day each year, Regan said what day (2nd Thursday in May) and that's how it's been. It just was made political (as usual) this year because of misquotes. How, what, where, why, we pray is a personal thing.
Thanks for the comments