The National Day of Prayer in the USA

Is it for people of all faiths?

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National Day of Prayer: an event inclusive of all faiths:

The National Day of Prayer was originally intended to be an inter-faith observance. It was to involve all monotheistic religions (conservative, mainline and liberal Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Baha'is), as well as followers of the many duotheistic, henotheistic, and polytheistic religions present in in the United States (Hindus, some Aboriginals, Wiccans, other Neopagans, Zoroastrians, followers of Vodun, Santeria, etc).

Proclamations by President Clinton stressed the inclusiveness of the NDP. In 1998, he referred to Public Law 100-307 as honoring " ...the religious diversity our freedom permits by recognizing annually a 'National Day of Prayer.' " ₁ In 1999, President Clinton wrote: "On the Great Plains, American Indians prayed for peace and for blessings upon their children and their friends. The Pilgrims prayed from the moment they first set foot on this continent. Our Nation's founders prayed as they forged a democracy based on freedom and respect for human rights. Our military leaders and the millions of men and women who have served in our Armed Forces have prayed in the midst of every conflict in which our Nation has fought. And so it continues to this day, as Americans of every race, background, and creed pray in churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and their own homes for guidance, wisdom, and courage in confronting the challenges before us." ₂

In his annual proclamations, President Bush continues the tradition of referring to the NDP as an observance for persons of all religions. In 2005, he wrote: "Since our Nation's earliest days, prayer has given strength and comfort to Americans of all faiths....I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the liberty and blessings we have received and for God's continued guidance and protection." ₁₁

Coordination of Evangelical Christian NDP events by the NDPTF:

The National Day of Prayer Task Force (NDPTF) is an Evangelical Christian group who coordinates NDP events which are organized by local conservative Christian groups. Their charter and vision statement are written in inclusive terminology. It could be applied with equal ease to Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Sikh events -- in fact to all religions which believe in intercessory prayer. It could be applied to events that were inclusive of all of these religions. Their charter reads:

"To communicate with every family the need for personal repentance and prayer, and to mobilize families to personal and corporate prayer, particularly on behalf of the nation and those in leadership on all levels of local, national, church and educational areas of influence."

In practice: an event exclusively for conservative Christians:

The events coordinated by the NDPTF seems to have become restricted to only Judeo-Christian observances during the late 1990s. During most of the 1990s, there were a few events sponsored by Jewish groups. During and after 1999, none were obvious. The events and the Task Force appear entirely Christian based, with the vast majority from the conservative wing of Christianity.

There are local observances of the NDP which are organized by non-Evangelical Christians, by members of other religions, and by interfaith groups. They are not coordinated by a national group that is similar to the NDPTF.

Reaction to the exclusivity of the NDP:

Americans United for Separation of Church and State complained in a 1999 news release that "The annual National Day of Prayer has been hijacked by Religious Right organizations that are using it to promote their religious political agenda." _8,9 Conservative Christian organizations have certainly been active in promoting the NDP. However, they have not hijacked the NDP in the usual sense of that word. There is absolutely nothing to prevent another group  from following the original intent of the NDP by organizing a series of inclusive events on the same date - events that would welcome and encourage the participation of all theistic religions, from Asatru to Zorastrianism, including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Wicca, as well as conservative, mainline and liberal Christianity.

A 1999-APR Americans United news release stated that: "Task Force materials distributed this year exclude Mormons, Muslims and other minority faiths, distort Supreme Court decisions and give a false impression of U.S. history." Executive director Barry Lynn, a United Church of Christ minister, said: "They're using the National Day of Prayer to promote bad history, bad law and bad interfaith relations."  Some examples which Lynn has extracted from the Task Force's materials allegedly are:

References:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

Copyright © 1999 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally published: 1999-MAY-5
Most recent update: 2005-MAY-16
Author: B.A. Robinson