Friday, May 4, 2012

A Reasonable Alternative

Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer in America, but it's also the National Day of Reason, and Charlotte and New Orleans made note of it.

Mayor Anthony Foxx of Charlotte, North Carolina and the Council of the City of New Orleans both issued National Day of Reason proclamations, urging citizens to celebrate free thought and rational inquiry.

In late April, Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) issued a proclamation on the House floor recognizing the National Day of Reason. He described the event as “an opportunity to reaffirm the Constitutional separation of religion and government.”

The National Day of Reason was promoted by the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America. The yearly celebration occurs on the first Thursday of May, the same day as the National Day of Prayer.

“Reason should be the guiding force for public policy,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “The National Day of Prayer excludes millions of Americans who choose not to pray or prefer keeping prayer private. Reason is something that everyone can celebrate.”

Considering a good 20% or more of Americans don't believe in God, it's smart if not eminently reasonable to include them in the day, yes?   We could certainly use more celebration of reason, inquiry and rational thought in America if you ask me.

And for the record, I'm agnostic.  Seems pretty reasonable to me.

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