NDR Media Coverage

For a Day of Prayer You Surely Require a Reason

That big old fellow in the clouds with the white beard and attendant angels can put down his ear trumpet tomorrow when this planet spins around to send America's signal his way.

Tomorow is officially the 2004 US National Day of Prayer, proclaimed by President Bush and every state governor. The oodles of mental missives aimed heavenwards by earnest American Christians will make Google look like a doddle.

"Only in America," Allah and the other gods in adjacent sky booths may mutter, as they struggle to hear their own clients amongst the metaphysical din; but only in America are the forces of organised irreligion fighting back, for tomorrow is also being observed as America's National Day of Reason.

The Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, wants it both ways. He issued a proclamation recognising the National Day of Prayer but refused a request by Pennsylvania Non-Believers to proclaim the National Day of Reason.

"The governor ... believes that reason should reign on a daily basis," Rendell's spokesman was reported as saying last week.

We can all say "Amen" to that but not all will lower their eyes and nod trustingly. Those who roll their eyes and shake their heads may do so in despair over the futility of such a faith, or the beguiling hypocrisy behind it (It may not help them to know that Rendell proclaimed last Saturday to be Smarty Jones Day in Pennsylvania, in honour of the local thoroughbred that won the Kentucky Derby on the day).

Rendell's spokesman added that prayer was particularly appropriate "given the times that we live in". Which is why this presidential election year's National Day of Prayer is going to set the Almighty's ears ringing.

The Iraq conflict has given Americans who pray a new cause for which to beseech their Lord, displayed amply by The Presidential Prayer Team. This group, which claims to have 2.8 million pray-ers, is not endorsed officially by George W. Bush but is committed to praying for him, his Cabinet and the nation. It is also running a "Let's Adopt our Troops in Prayer" campaign that claims more than 500,000 individual adoptions, an average of about three prayers for every US soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan.

No doubt all of these will be praying more intensely than usual tomorrow as part of the National Day of Prayer, led by its honorary chairman, Colonel Oliver North.

Vice-chairman Jim Weidmann describes North as "a man of integrity and faith who has conducted himself with tremendous personal strength and grace during some very difficult circumstances".

"With this year's theme and because of the Colonel's recent war coverage for Fox News, we couldn't be more pleased to have him as our honorary chairman."

The theme is "Let Freedom Ring," which chimes in nicely with North's new book, True Freedom: The Liberating Power of Prayer. This uplifting tome is said to offer "real-life stories about how prayer provides freedom from guilt, anxiety, sin's power, self-deception and other topics".

North is on to the core values of religion there. Putting aside the creation myths they offer, religions give believers excuses for their nasty behaviours (e.g. Satan), a range of strategies to gain earthly exoneration (prayer, penance) and the big offer of eternal happiness if you happen to die when your record is looking good. As such it is a haven for hypocrites, of which a righteous Ollie North is an incandescent example.

It could drive a godless human to despair but there are enough of them in America willing to put up a fight. The National Day of Reason has been organised by "a consortium of leaders from within the community of reason" and backed up by local organisations who have pressured politicians to endorse it publicly. Very few pollies have dared to be so bold. Instead they squirm and hide or offer lame excuses, like Governor Rendell.

Alabama's Treasurer, Kay Ivey, had a cute argument: "I operate the state Treasurer's office using the motto on our currency, 'In God We Trust'. Therefore, I will not be able to sponsor an event on behalf of the Atheist Law Centre".

Still, this is not just a bid to merely embarrass politicians for a day. The organisers of the National Day of Reason want seriously to roll back what they see as an erosion of their right to equality under the US Constitution.

"Many who value the separation of church and state have sought an appropriate response to the federally funded National Day of Prayer, an annual abuse of the constitution," the organisers say on its web site.

"Nontheistic Americans (including free thinkers, humanists, atheists and agnostics), along with many traditionally religious allies, view such government-sanctioned sectarianism as unduly exclusionary."

This message is being repeated at the local level. Steve Neubauer, president of the Pennsylvania NonBelievers, who put the hard word on Governor Rendell, told the media that his group didn't object to a day of prayer but to government endorsement of it, because this amounted to favouritism based on religious conviction.

"A Day of Prayer excludes non-believers, because we don't pray," he said, "but our Day of Reason you would think that everyone would be able to endorse."

Perhaps all they need is a sign from that big old guy in the clouds.

Copyright 2004 The Canberra Times

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