Please open your browsers to http://en.Wikipedia, directory "wiki," entry, National_day_of_prayer. Read along with me, without bowing your heads:
The National Day of Prayer (36 U.S.C. § 119) is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day....
Its constitutionality is being challenged in court by the Freedom From Religion Foundation after their first challenge was unanimously dismissed by a federal appellate court in April 2011.
Why not have a National Day of Prayer? Prayer is cheap, so what's the cost? No pay, no pain, right?
Wrong. First, religion doesn't belong in politics. Second, prayer is not an esteem-worthy use of time.
Two examples. As for religion in politics: At the 2003 swearing-in ceremony for Buddy Dyer, Orlando's mayor-elect, the new head of Mickey City was presented with a Bible "to guide him." The passage on how to drive the Philistines out of Disney World came in handy, no doubt. Well, no. The religion in this case was at best all pomp and circumstance. At worst a Trojan horse full of unquestioned values.
As for prayer: One afternoon that same year, while walking through the local Blockbuster parking lot, I spied a bumper sticker with these words in the first line: "Pray For Our Troops." I kept walking. But then something nudged my unconscious, causing me to stop and back up one step. I read the second line: "Join Operation Prayer Shield." There was a 1-800 number you could call to take part in this vital national mission.
I wondered, Does President George Bush know about this? He had already begun diverting funds to faith-based social programs. In terms of our federal budget, social programs are chump change. The military budget -- now there's an industrial-strength cashbox. Why not a faith-based defense program? Star Wars is horse-and-buggy stuff next to this. With an exclusively prayer-based national defense system there would be extremely low overhead, as no hardware is necessary. Why hadn't our chaplain-in-chief thought of it?
But really. Operation Prayer Shield? If praying to a god can't help cardiac patients recover faster (as research has shown), it's not going to stop bomb fragments and speeding bullets. Rather than praying for our troops, the practical thing would be to vote for government representatives inclined to bring them home, out of harm's way. Judging by the subsequent election, people may have done just that.
Prayer costs almost nothing, which is why the activity persists. When people feel they have no control, yet crave it, they will pray. So they do something, even if they are basically doing nothing beyond making themselves feel better. If it cost ten bucks to say a prayer, how many people would keep doing it?
Don't pray for troops, I thought upon spying that bumper-sticker sentiment. Send them better equipment. Or remove them from battle. Sure, pressing your palms together and talking to an invisible ally is easy and inexpensive. Anyone can pray. But if you want real results, you're going to have to take the time and energy to roll up your sleeves and expend some effort in the real world.
I prefer my politics to be focused on the real world. It's crazy, I know.
Tags: politics, religion, Sunday Un-Sermon
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