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THE QUESTION
Should the Government Celebrate Prayer?
President Obama will sign a proclamation Thursday recognizing National Day of Prayer, but he won't follow President Bush's practice of hosting a related event at the White House. Should he do neither? Both? Should there be an official National Day of Prayer?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on May 6, 2009 5:27 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Prayer Always a Part of America
Whether President Obama chooses to bring people into the White House or not, it is still for all Americans a day in which we can give thanks to our Creator for all the blessings and bounty we have in this nation.
Posted by Charles "Chuck" Colson, on May 8, 2009 4:44 PM
We All Prayed
A crowd of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Agnostics prayed for peace and for leaders who would work together.
Posted by Eboo Patel, on May 8, 2009 10:09 AM
Prayers to Heal the Nations
Perhaps our National Day of Prayer will inspire us both to pray more and to expect concrete results from that prayer.
Posted by Phil Davis, on May 7, 2009 11:06 AM
What is Prayer Meant to Be?
Whether or not a national day of prayer is worthy of the name depends on what prayer is meant to be. In the Bush era, public or group prayer followed the pattern set down by Nixon in the Sixties: it was a validation of conservative values.
Posted by Deepak Chopra, on May 7, 2009 2:10 AM
A Time to Pray
If there ever was a time that the American people needed to be reminded to come together in the Spirit of fraternity and charity, and meditate and supplicate, it would be now.
Posted by Matt Maher, on May 6, 2009 3:54 PM
Obama's Post-Modernism
The President's proclamation of a National Day of Prayer, without a White House function, reflects the tensions and inconsistencies of our age. But it is better to recognize those tensions and inconsistencies than it is to repress them through the exercise of power.
Posted by Mathew N. Schmalz, on May 6, 2009 1:19 PM
Evangelical Christian Day of Prayer
The National Day of Prayer has been little more than a right wing evangelical celebration of a single strand of America's rich and diverse religious heritage.
Posted by John Shelby Spong, on May 6, 2009 10:05 AM
America on Her Knees; Her Greatest Posture
Should President Obama accompany the declaration with a White House ceremony? Absolutely! Should there be a National Day of Prayer? Why not?
Posted by Samuel Rodriguez, on May 6, 2009 1:39 AM
Nations Should Pray in Unison
National Day of Prayer idea is even better when the nation prays together in unison.
Posted by Rajan Zed, on May 5, 2009 5:26 PM
Obama's Wise, But Unfortunate, Decision
Unfortunately, President Obama is making the right decision by not hosting a National Prayer Day event at the White House.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on May 5, 2009 3:30 PM
National Day of Non-Prayer?
Imagine this hypothetical companion headline: "President Obama will also sign a proclamation Friday recognizing National Day of Non-Prayer."
Posted by Herb Silverman, on May 5, 2009 2:20 PM
Prayer Doesn't Require Presidential Endorsement
Obama probably has the right mix. Those who wish to pray don't need the endorsement of a president; not when they have God.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on May 5, 2009 2:17 PM
Skip the Proclamation, Host the Event
It is in the act of coming together to hear diverse prayers spoken that we build whatever civic solidarity we can, and we build our religious pluralism at the same time.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on May 5, 2009 11:19 AM
President Obama's Subdued Religion Seems More Real
Proclamation, YES; related event at the White House, NO.
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on May 4, 2009 9:58 PM
How About An Infotainment-Free Day?
I would much prefer a proclamation endorsing a "National Day of Reflection and Quiet." The U.S. government has no business issuing declarations taking any position on prayer.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on May 4, 2009 2:47 PM
FEATURED COMMENTS
robinlandseadel: If we are to be true to our founding fathers, we would not have a national day of prayer:
"All national institutions of churches, whether J...
RogerWDavis: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, but the rantings of a denominated people don't mean a thing....
bigbrother1: No. The 1st Amendment prohibits the government from establishing religion.
Separation of church and state. It's not just a good idea, it's ...
