A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional Thursday, saying the day amounts to a call for religious action.Here's my question: If you think President Obama is dragging us kicking and screaming towards "socialism" and you decry his "unprecedented government interference" in the lives of ordinary Americans, shouldn't you be against the government telling you which day is okay to pray to whatever God/Goddess/Deity/Pantheon/Whatever you want to?
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.
Crabb wrote that her ruling shouldn't be considered a bar to any prayer days until all appeals are exhausted. U.S. Justice Department attorneys who represented the federal government in the case were reviewing the ruling Thursday afternoon, agency spokesman Charles Miller said. He declined further comment.
Obama spokesman Matt Lehrich said in an e-mail to The Associated Press the president still plans to issue a proclamation for the next prayer day.
"As he did last year, President Obama intends to recognize a National Day of Prayer," Lehrich said.
Isn't that interference? It's been that way for almost 60 years now. It's worth a revolution (some would argue an armed and violent one) against the government because the government wants people to buy health insurance, but a government-designated National Day of Prayer is perfectly fine?
I don't understand wingers sometimes. They just don't make sense.
Tsk, Zandar, you're usually so much more insightful than this.
ReplyDeleteThe Christianists and the Free-Marketeers are more happily married every day. They profess their love to each other thusly:
C: "Oh, FM, I haz a sad. Our Mooslim president is chasing God out of our government!"
FM: "Oh, C, I haz a sad as well! Our Commie president is chasing out the notion that negative-sum capitalism is wonderful, as well!"
C: "But, those are our GOD GIVEN RIGHTS!"
*eye contact*
*swoon*
Explain'd.
Cause separation of church and state didn't start until Obama was around.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone stated "Obama canceled the NDOP?" or is this a preemptive assault on bitching?
@Waffles:
ReplyDeleteNo, there's just resuming a of national interest in it, after his predecessor Decidered it had been a trial seperation, and that those two nutty kids really ought to try and work it out.
Plus, one Googling later...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1724544/obama_cancels_national_day_of_prayer.html
Top result.
Fail troll is fail.
(actually, Waffles, I lurve ya. promise you'll never leave us!)
Lowkey basically beat me to it. "God, Guns, and Gays" still holds strong for the Old White Fuckers.
ReplyDeleteReligion is the opiate of the masses, indeed.
Really, they don't like Muslims because (besides being unacceptably brown, pale-skinned Muslims don't exist), it's a threat to their Christianity (which is acceptably white, dark-skinned Christians don't exist).