The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
Though the date was set by Congress, the National Day of Prayer Task Force is a private organization, dominated by evangelical Christians, that coordinates activities nationwide. Its co-chair is Shirley Dobson, wife of the Rev. James Dobson, who leads Focus on the Family, and the Day of Prayer's Web site reflects many of the Christian organization's conservative viewpoints on social issues.
Unfortunately, the same Christians who are bothered by the politicized nature of how this private organization runs the National Day of Prayer don't seem to notice that it would have to be politicized if the Congress is made responsible for setting the date. I can't understand why any Christian would think that the Congress has the appropriate authority to tell Christians when an appropriate day for praying is. When did Christians in America starting thinking that electing someone to Congress also meant electing them to a national pulpit?
"Many of our schools," begins the education section of the Freedom Five prayer, are "promoting a radical social agenda. Condom distribution, the promotion of homosexuality and a refusal to acknowledge God have become commonplace in our institutions of learning today. Pray that your schools will get 'back to basics' when it comes to educating our children, instilling the leaders of tomorrow with a respect for the Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation was founded."
Yes, public schools "refuse" to acknowledge the god of evangelical Christians. Perhaps that's because not all students in public schools are evangelical Christians and it would be inappropriate for the government employees who work in these schools to promote the religion of some students over the religions of other students?
Some say that as a result of the politicization, the day's prayers have been largely Christian. Neither the state National Day coordinator nor the Bay Area's regional organizer could name any Muslim or Buddhist organization or individual participating in a ceremony today. They could name only one Jewish group.
"They certainly are welcome to do so if they'd like to. If you're Muslim, and you want to celebrate the National Day of Prayer, we encourage it," said Joe Walsh, California's coordinator. "Anybody can celebrate it, but it has a Judeo-Christian focus. The point of the day isn't to be ecumenical."
Given the overt politicizing of the day and the manner in which it advocates a narrow political and religious agenda, why would Muslim or Buddhist groups want to apply to join in? I can't imagine that too many moderate-to-liberal Christian groups are all that anxious to participate, either. In such a context, insisting that others are "welcome" to join is disingenuous — they are not being welcomed or made to feel welcome, so the apparent absence of formal rules barring them is ultimately irrelevant.
Notice how Walsh makes a point of saying that the point of the day isn't to be ecumenical. If the day isn't ecumenical, then it must be narrowly sectarian — it's focus is conservative evangelical Christianity. Thus, the "national" day of prayer is really an evangelical day of prayer for religious conservatives. Participation by government and corporate entities must therefore be seen as an endorsement of this narrow religious perspective, not of religion, faith, or prayer generally.
Countered Terrell Mayton, of the National Day of Prayer Task Force: "I don't understand how praying can be politicized. It's about a personal relationship with God."
Mayton is being disingenuous, too. You politicize prayer by praying for the success of your political agenda and by portraying those who disagree with you as being anti-God, anti-faith, anti-Christian, etc. The Christian Right has politicized religion extensively and it's not possible for any sincere, honest, an intelligent person to fail to recognize that.
Read More: