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The National Day of Prayer is this Thursday. But last month, a federal judge in Madison, Wisconsin declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. KSMU’s Adam Hammons asked two local individuals with differing viewpoints what they thought of the decision.
In her decision, Judge Barbara Crabb stated that the act of the government calling for a day of prayer is against the first amendment, and thus against the Constitution.
The National Day of Prayer began in the 1950s and in recent years has been on the first Thursday of May. Dr. Andrew Johnson teaches philosophy at Missouri State University. He says he’s okay with the ruling.
“The government of the United States has to be, according to the first amendment, has to be neutral with regard to all religions--with regard to all religious beliefs, including agnosticism and atheism,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that the day promotes prayer, which in turn promotes religion. He said when the state has an affiliation with any religion, it goes against the Constitution.
However, attorney Dee Wampler interprets history differently.
“We really don’t have, and have never had a strict separation between church and state. What we have is an accommodation between the two.”
Wampler went on to say that the day doesn’t mean the government is making people pray. He says it’s only an invitation. Johnson, however, feels it’s not the job of elected officials to invite people to pray.
“National prayer day would have no meaning if it just meant, if you want to pray you can. That’s the case everyday,” Johnson said.
One argument in support of the national day of prayer is that communicating with a higher power has been a constant throughout America’s history. Wampler says this tradition goes all the way back to the founding fathers.
“Just about every president of the United States since George Washington have all called for a day of prayer. For our protective covering that where we need to go to God and pray for our nation in times of peril and even in good times,” said Wampler.
Wampler says he wouldn’t be surprised if the court case goes all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Greene County officials are scheduled to hold a National Day of Prayer breakfast Thursday morning.
For KSMU News, I’m Adam Hammons.
