NDR Media Coverage

Crowd Marks Day of Prayer

from staff reports

Praying Christians and non-believers raised their voices in turn on the Capitol steps yesterday.

About 250 people prayed and sang praise songs for more than an hour during the 51st annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.

Then came about 20 members of the Pennsylvania Nonbelievers, observing what they called the first National Day of Reason with speeches and a boom-box playing John Lennon's "Imagine."

"Nations and destinies are defined by the altars maintained in the land," the Rev. Charles Stock of Life Center in Swatara Twp. told the prayer rally.

The group prayed for the nation's leaders and gave thanks for America's blessings and repented. Some knelt on the white stone in the sun.

The Rev. Earl Harris of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Harrisburg said prayer and fasting can bring a "moral reawakening in America. ... Our nation is on the line. Military action cannot do what God can do."

President Bush figured into both rallies.

"For the first time in many years, we have a publicly praying president," Stock said, to applause from Christians.

Carl Silverman of Camp Hill lamented to the nonbelievers the "erosion of the wall between church and state during the Bush administration."

Various polls find 10 percent to 14 percent of Americans say they have no religion. "We're proud American citizens," said Liz Burcin of York. "We're tired of being marginalized."

It's reason that deserves a day of recognition, said Ron Stauffer of Altoona. "Reason, which makes no pious promises and is neutral ... reason delivers every day, every hour, every minute of our lives."

Copyright 2003 The Patriot-News

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