April, 2010:

Re: On Faith Panelists Blog: National Day of Reason – Herb Silverman, Herb Silverman, President, Secular Coalition for America, “On Faith” The Washington Post

National Day of Reason

Q: Did the Pentagon do the right thing by disinviting evangelist Franklin Graham from a National Day of Prayer event next week? Should government officials decide who can or cannot speak at such an event? Should the government proclaim a National Day of Prayer? Was a federal judge right to rule it unconstitutional?

It’s a sad day when I come closer to supporting Franklin Graham than Col. Thomas Collins, spokesman for the U.S. Army. Collins said Graham was disinvited from a National Day of Prayer event because of his criticism of Islam. Collins wants official military policy to be an appreciation of all faiths. This is a call for hypocrisy on the part of most religious leaders.

What Herb Silverman is saying is that all religions have disdain for one another, so why is it surprising to hear Franklin Graham diss Islam? Then Silverman goes on to say that there shouldn’t be a national day of prayer sponsored by the government in the first place.

I agree with Collins that Graham should not speak at a National Day of Prayer event. Nor should I or anyone else, because a secular country like the United States should not have a National Day of Prayer. Individuals may pray, but government officials should not lead or sponsor prayer.

I don’t think the government officials are going to lead the prayer, that is why these religious figures are invited to the Pentagon. But is it wrong for the the government to sponsor a national day of prayer, or have a call to prayer, in the first place? Is is not inclusive of all religions?

On April 16, a federal judge ruled in a lawsuit over the separation clause and filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in 2008 that the national day of prayer is unconstitutional sighting what she believes is a national call for religious action, which would establish a religion.

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.

Let me just say here that the government has enacted laws that are much more bizarre and prejudicial than a day of prayer. Remember Terri Schavio? Judge Crabb went on to explain in her writing that, “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.” First of all, prayer has no impact on anything except giving a warm fuzzy to the person praying. Secondly, I hope that most folks have enough sense to pray or not pray whenever they want to.

Anyway, the judge also said that her ruling didn’t amount to a bar to a prayer day until all appeals were exhausted. In other words, even though she ruled it unconstitutional, go ahead and have it, nevertheless.

I’m going back to Herb Silverman’s basic premise that there should not be a national day of prayer in the first place. He proposes a national day of reason instead without explaining what that would involve. For the life of me, I cannot picture a family sitting around a table on this day having a skull session on hope and change. Silverman also said himself that it may be naive and he is right.

But, Silverman is wrong about the prayer day. He says that religions are divisive and there is no such thing as a prayer that’s inclusive for all. Maybe he misses the point. Maybe he doesn’t give the feds credit for having half a brain. They know that a christian prayer won’t satisfy a muslim, or our jewish friends. That is why leaders of varied faiths are invited to lead the prayers. They should go ahead and have it. Prayer comforts millions of Americans and there is really no harm in it, albeit useless.

Silverman also points out that this event doesn’t support, or is not inclusive of, the atheist soldier.

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers (yes, there are many atheists in foxholes) recently completed a study that shows 23.4% of members in the military profess no religious affiliation. More identify as atheists than identify as Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, or Muslims. They deserve support just as all service members do.

Here’s the truth Mr. Silverman. The atheist soldier in the foxhole has already excluded himself from the majority. He has set himself outside the main stream but holds no grudge with anyone because of it. He may also be laughing at all this after realizing that the controversy over a national day of prayer means absolutely nothing to him. These god(s) don’t exist, so how why does one religion’s prayer cause so much ire with another religion? An atheist looks at a national day of prayer as an exercise in futility. To him, it’s a tempest in a tea pot.

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