Discontinuing Religious Right-Focused Prayer Event At White House

[and-justice-for-all]

Americans United Commends Obama For Discontinuing Religious Right-Focused Prayer Event At White House
Tuesday, May 5, 2009

President Will Sign Proclamation, But Won't Hold White House Event

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today commended President Barack Obama for discontinuing an annual Religious Right-focused prayer service held during the previous eight years at the White House.

Obama has indicated that he will sign a proclamation recognizing the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, but that no special White House prayer service will be held.

This stands in contrast to the George W. Bush administration that invited James and Shirley Dobson and other Religious Right leaders to the White House for an annual government-sponsored prayer service. The relationship appeared to give governmental endorsement to the Dobsons’ National Day of Prayer Task Force, a private fundamentalist group that sponsors Christians-only prayer meetings around the country.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, issued the following statement about the Obama decision:

“I am pleased that President Obama has made this decision. The president is required by federal law to declare a National Day of Prayer, but there is no requirement that a special event be held at the White House in observance of this event.

“During the Bush years, the Dobsons and other Religious Right leaders were given special access to the White House. That seems to have come to an end, and I’m glad.

“Congress should never have mandated a National Day of Prayer. Americans don’t need the government telling them when to pray and what to pray for. But if the federal government is going to set aside a prayer day, it should recognize the broad diversity of faiths, not just fundamentalist Christians.”

http://members.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=10425

[Clio the Leo]

1. As a conservative Christian I agree....

... on one hand, I'm all for folks praying, I dont care who's doing it and where they are. But the notion that there's a Federal law requiring it is fundamentally (pardon the pun) disturbing.

I'm sad that he's not doing the event, but there is no place for exclusion in the people's house.

The sad part is that the religious right will blow this out of porpotion while they ignore the Faith Based office has already done. And they will CONTINUE to ignore the simple fact that THIS President behaves in a more Christ-like manner than any we've seen in a long time.

[HopeOverFear]

2. Amen to this

And they will CONTINUE to ignore the simple fact that THIS President behaves in a more Christ-like manner than any we've seen in a long time.

that is the TRUTH.