National Day of Reason

YEAL9 either doesn't know how to read a Form 990 or is being intentionally deceptive.

As has already been pointed out, Herb Silverman receives no pay from the Secular Coalition for America. The Form 990 lists *all* director and officer pay. Line 12 of expenses, "Salaries, other compensation, and employee benefits," includes pay for all staff as well as director and officer pay, and the total is $150,695. Subtract the Acting Director's pay of $43,925, and you get $106,770 paid to other employees, none of which get over $100,000 (or it would be listed in Part VI). Line 13 lists $48,556 paid to independent contractors, which don't include Herb Silverman.

Not sure why executive director Sean Faircloth isn't listed in Part IV, though.

We await Mr. Silverman's response to where the other salaries paid by his "non-profit" are going other than his pocket. The request has been many times with still no response.

Then there is his "education" fund where no Form 990 has been filed. Again we have received no reponse as to the salaries being paid from said fund.

Without said response, one questions the veracity of any of Silveman's comments since presently they are tainted by the odor of money.

Any faith based organization is free and welcome to sponsor a National Day of Prayer, National Day of Faith, National Day of (fill in the blank). The United States Government and the local governments thereunder are bound by separation of church and state and may not (Constitutionally) sponsor a National Day of Prayer.

And Yeal 9, please take your comments of questionable veracity regarding Dr. Silverman elsewhere and limit comments on this site to comments regarding the content of the column.

In Richard Dawkins section, he hits the nail on the head about the problem with having a National Day of Prayer.

Franklin Graham wasn't excluded from the event for all the idiotic crap he spews every day, but for the most sensible thing he ever said.

I would just remind Dr. Silverman and the other commenters here that the military has a substantial number of clerics on the payroll, who are paid, of course, by the taxpayers. I assume, but don't know for sure, that these chaplains represent all faiths, including Islam. So, every day is a day of prayer in the military, at least for those who wish to do so.

Likewise, Congress employs chaplains in both the House and the Senate. They have offices in the Capitol and perhaps a staff; all at taxpayer expense. As I understand it, each house starts the day with a prayer. And, they have been doing so since the establishment of the republic. The supremes have ruled in favor of this practice at least three times over the years.

Although I am a non-theist and disagree with a government-sponsored National Day of Prayer, the sad fact is that prayer has been a part of the government since the beginning. Thus, Jefferson's "wall of separation" leaks like a sieve.

I posted a comment answering Mr. Silverman's question about who could be opposed to reason with a quote from a religious leader against reason, but it was censored. Let's see if this one is censored too.

We await Mr. Silverman's response to where the other salaries paid by his "non-profit" are going other than his pocket. The request has been many times with still no response.

Then there is his "education" fund where no Form 990 has been filed. Again we have received no reponse as to the salaries being paid from said fund.

national day of reason.

every reason in the world prove the existance of the creator god,so by all means let us sit down and discuse atheism where the existance of the creator god is denyed and mocked.

*for so god loved the world he nailed his only son to the cross for the sake and sin of mankind*

the above theology and pray should be hily reasonfied at the national reason day especialy when graham family want to limit the uniglory dialouge to one man show.

if you realy want to come down to reason,

america is not jesus land nor juchristian land nor human secular land ,america is the land of the creator god ,

the above is documented down in your reason bible,your juchristian bible and your constitution bible.

let me speak my mind for a minute ,
the national day of prayer is another delusion,for the very simple fact,

1-people pray to who?

the none existance god?
or sony who died on the cross?
or the god incarnate in human?
or the human incarnate in god ?
or the trinity1+1+1=1?
or the reason god ?
or the $dollar god$ ,in god we trust?

please carry some reason on your head and shoulder befor comeing to the national reason or praying day.

god bless you soooo good.

No, one better not assume anything, especially not anything so vile as a claim about tax fraud, which the moron here is making.

I looked at the SCA 990 form, and it says in Part IV that Silverman is compensated in 0 dollars.

It's right there in the 990, and any assumption made of being paid anyway is willfully mendacious and moronic.

Cough up some evidence that Silverman is being paid, or STFU, idiot.

Mr. Silverman is listed as the president of his non-profit, the Secular Coalition for America. He does not list his salary on the IRS Form 990 which is strange. Other salaries and compensation from Form 990 for 2008 are listed as $150,695. One director’s salary is listed at $43,925 so one assumes Mr. Silverman’s salary per year is about $102,000/year. Not a bad salary for a non-profit!!!

Contributions, gifts and grants for 2008 amounted to $310,034. Mr. Silverman also has established an education fund but no financials are available.

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2008/260/058/2008-260058528-059381ba-ZO.pdf

http://www2.guidestar.org/organizations/26-1891218/secular-coalition-america-education-fund.aspx

The National Day of Prayer has apparently causing more controversy. The Reverend Franklin Graham, son of legendary televangelist, Billy Graham was apparently invited and then uninvited to the Pentagon to celebrate this unconstitutional event.

While many atheists are opposed to the National Day of Prayer, I think it is actually a good idea. We do have to be clear about one thing, which god we as a nation ought to be called to pray too.

You can read the rest of my response to this topic:
http://tinyurl.com/2wmhrdf

I will be responding to every issue posted in the 'On Faith' section. If you would like to be notified when my new response is up, please subscribe.

As a fellow atheist, I agree totally with Dr. Silverman that a government-sponsored "National Day of Prayer" has no place in a nation founded on secular principles. I also find it amazing how little attention many Christians seem to pay to the actual teachings of Jesus. Did he not advise his followers to pray in private? Please do so, and spare the rest of us the pain of having to endure such public displays of hypocrisy masquerading as piety.

Dear god, if there is one, save my soul, if I have one.

Or eat sht and die. Whatever this god crap is all about, surely santa claus and the tooth fairy have a more positive message for us all.

YEAL9,

Where are you getting your information? Nothing at GuideStar says Herb is rolling in $100k as President of the Secular Coalition of America. I'm pretty sure it's an all-volunteer board. You've posted similarly misguided comments on Herb's other columns as well. Why don't you include a direct link to the page that corroborates your claim so we can all see it?

Is Mr. Silverman raising an issue or simply trying to pad his already large salary that he gets from his "non-profit"?? i.e. $100,000/yr for writing a few columns and sponsoring a few meetings!!! www.guidestar.org

Herb is totally right in saying that 'inclusive prayer' is a sham. We can all be tolerant, accepting, possibly respectful, but the truth is, Christian prayer to Jesus supports/advocates/endorses eternal torment for Muslims and Atheists, A Muslim prayer to Allah supports/advocates/endorses eternal torment for Christians and Atheists, and prayer to an anonymous god is disrespectful to devout followers of every religion and exclusive of atheists. Government support of prayer ends up with apathy like in Europe or violence as in the Middle East. I hope the United States doesn't go either way.

"Religions are divisive, and there is no such thing as a prayer that's inclusive for all."

Yes, exactly right! Not all religions involve prayer, and only the monotheisms limit this monologue to one god!"

"To honor our members in the service, and to inspire them to act responsibly in difficult situations, perhaps our government should sponsor a National Day of Reason. I may be a bit naïve, but who can be opposed to reason?"

Oh, doc, if only this were true! Unfortunately, critical thinking and reason are anathema to the Abrahamic supernaturalists. After all, the name of their game is...FAITH...not reason. Just have faith, baby, just have faith...

Cassie:

I really don't think your argument that government isn't sponsoring religion with a National Day of Prayer holds water. Particularly when the military sponsors prayer events.

You'd be surprised at how many people object to reason.

1. I don't think the government is "leading" or "sponsoring" prayer on the National Day of Prayer. I think the government is just recognizing what prayer means to people (prayer is not specific to one religion by the way). However, I can acknowledge that the government should take care not to elevate one religion over another.

2. Reason can be very divisive and can lead many different people down different paths.

3. I appreciate this: "Conservative religionists of all stripes, deep down, probably don't respect other religions they believe to be anywhere from wrong to satanic. And I, as an atheist, don't respect most beliefs in most religions." I appreciate the recognition that all religions (and I am including atheists) shouldn't be expected to throw away their belief system just to agree on everything. How could that possibly work? That is the point of different belief systems. This shouldn't be surprising or a problem.

"Who can be opposed to reason?" Those whose fantasy is that their faith is essential to their salvation will be opposed to reason, although they will be unable to see it.

The USA is largely a product of The Age of Reason, after all.

Herb is right. Nobody should speak at a government-sponsored "National Day of Prayer" because there shouldn't be such a thing.

No, no, no.
Then we'd be advocating 364 days of Non-Reason.

Let's have a National Day of Dispensation:
Jehovahs Witnesses get surgery requiring transfusion
Mormons drink beer with dinner
Catholics have sex using birth control
Muslim women wear bikinis to the beach
Jews have bacon at breakfast

Yes, I very much agree with Dr. Silverman on this issue. Who can argue with an official day of reason? A National Day of Prayer is divisive by nature. As the T-shirt says "Faith is No Reason."