Since the birth of this great nation there has always been some type of National Day of Prayer (NDP) at one time or another. Starting when the Continental Congress in 1775 set aside a day of prayer to mark the birth of a new nation. Following along these sentiments George Washington (1779) also proclaimed a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. After that, however, NDP was not adopted as a national holiday and believed by some at the time to be down right unconstitutional.

"They seem to imply and certainly nourish the erroneous idea of a national religion."
-President James Madison on NDP


"Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where the Constitution has deposited it."
-Thomas Jefferson (1808)


In times of uncertainly, however, people tend to seek out religion be it for social support or to feel more in control of a uncontrollable situation, and in light of this NPD was started up again by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.


After that NPD disappeared not to be seen again until 1950, 3 years into the Cold War. It was during this time that America was gripped by fear of communists but more importantly nuclear war. Americans were told that our enemy was not just communists but “godless” people that had no morals and we “godly” Americans needed to protect our God and our way of life.

Truman (1952) enacted NPD on July 4, the same day of the anniversary of the declaration of independence, which I find very ironic. The resolution Truman passed was that once a year the Presdient must set aside a NDP on which people in the United States may turn to God in prayer and mediation.


Also during this time the words “Under God” were added to the pledge alliance.

In line with this, religion is highest among people and nations that routinely face harder choices and greater uncertainty. This can stem from the position of one’s social status within the group or as a nation, as the case with the Cold War. Add to this the growing effects of role conflict, or competing religions within an area, which is happening in the US, and this only further facilitates conflict for niche filling amongst these religious groups. Ones that can align themselves with other powerful groups, such as political parties, are better able to survival and propagate. Hence the Evangelicals and Politicians, who in exchange for this receive precise votes.

Which may explain in part why in 1972 The National Day of Pray Committee was started by the Evangelical Christian and from there the holiday became the very thing it is today- an agenda pushing Christian sponsored event.

The NDP committee then established a National Day of Pray Task Force first set out to create a specific date for NDP, the first Thursday in May.

"On our National Day of Prayer, then, we join together as people of many faiths to petition God to show us His mercy and His love, to heal our weariness and uphold our hope, that we might live ever mindful of His justice and thankful for His blessing."
-After signing it into law- President Reagan (1988-MAY-5)

I must add here that NDP in the right context is not necessarily a bad thing. Some presidents used this day, for example, to encourage religious tolerance.



"Through prayer our people take a moment away from the concerns of everyday life to understand the greater power that gives us guidance. We come together in an act common to all religions."
-Bill Clinton (1993)
"In every city, town, and rural community across our country, people of every religious denomination gather to worship according to their faith. In churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques, Americans come together to pray."
-Bill Clinton (1998)


Since that time, thanks in part to Bush’s unwavering support of the Christian right, National Prayer Day is practically sponsored by evangelicals who largely run the roughly 40,000 events held nation wide that day including concerts, pray-a-thons, and flag pole prayers at public schools.

By 1999, evangelicals had gained enough power to further propagate their case by pressuring and eventually getting almost all states to publicly announce and plan events for NPD within their districts. While nearly all 50 states and U.S. owned territories adopted NPD, a few brave senators and other politicians argued against it.

"There are people out there who are Atheists, who don't believe at all. They are all citizens of Minnesota, and I have to respect that." -Jesse Ventura, governor of Minnesota

In the end, Ventura had to sign a statement of recognition instead; it acknowledged that the NDP existed, but did not offer state support for it.

Most NDP events are sponsored by the conservative Christian churches and tend to be very agenda orientated. Focusing on such critical issues as homosexuals and abortions.

Not only this but NDP, a so-called multi-religious holiday, is openly bashing Obama for not attending their evangelical service that day, not to mention the false propaganda being circulated that Obama hates prayer. In fact if you google National Pray Day more then half the websites on the first page are about Obama cancelling NPD, which is completely and utterly a lie. Providing further evidence of agenda pushing otherwise I can't not see the reason to go there in the first place, why make it so political?

The only thing Obama cancelled was the service in the White House that day featuring an evangelical preacher. He is still making a public statement about NDP, as well as, having an outside service. This is not good enough, however, for the NDP committee who had this to say about it,


“We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama administration," Shirley Dobson, chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Committee, said in a statement. "At this time in our country's history, we would hope our president would recognize more fully the importance of prayer."

I thought the goal of the day is for peace, acceptance, and personal growth not to force people to attend services that are not in line with their beliefs and not to spread conservative Christian rumors about those who don't partake in the festivities.

Not to mention the fact that there could be so many better national day’s to set aside such as National Take Action Day then standing around asking someone else to make this country better. Just imagine if all the energy and time that went into prayer was redirected towards actions. If people actually went out and tired do to the things they pray to their God about. How much longer are we going to wait for God to do it, it's been at least 6,000 years of prayers.

Yes, National Day of Pray is pointless and it's ridiculous to even be having debates over this considering everything else that is going on in the world, but it is for this very reason, this uncertainty of the future that only further fuel this behavior and unfortunately it does not look like it going to go away any time soon. Unless, that is, if we can find something else to turn to.

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