U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb in Madison, Wis., ruled unconstitutional a 1988 federal law giving the president the authority to designate the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer.
During the war with France, it was President John Adams who declared May 9, 1798 as "a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer that our country may be protected from all the dangers which threaten it".
On March 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation: "Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation..."
Then back in 1952 it was created as a floating holiday.
And it was President Ronald Reagan who fixed it on the first Thursday in May... as a National Day of Prayer (36 U.S.C. § 119).
There comes Judge Barbara B. Crabb, who ruled everything done in the past unconstitutional and rightly so...
The case was filed by Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis. based atheist group...
Judge Crabb admits "that many people are not harmed by the president proclaiming a day of prayer, because they are unaware of its message, or it was not directed at them, or they approve of the observance".
She adds: “However, individuals such as the plaintiffs, who do not pray and feel marginalized as a result of the government’s message of prayer, suffer a distinct harm.”
The decision is extremely well written and will surely end up at the door step of the U.S. Supreme Court...
You can read Judge Crabb's decision here... 66 pages of it...
No comments:
Post a Comment