NDR Media Coverage

A Day for Reason (Letter to the Editor)

by Alfredo Tamhburrino

The constitutional principle of church-state separation is under constant assault. Americans enjoy the most religious freedom anywhere in the world, but religious fanatics want to force-feed their brand of religion to everyone and use the power of the state to do it. For several years a National Day of Prayer on May 6 has been recognized and funded by taxpayers (an annual abuse of the First Amendment). While worship and prayer are comforts for many Americans and their right to free exercise of religion is assured, prayer is a religious activity that government shouldn't be involved in.

If we wish other nations to embrace secular democracy and to respect the rights of religious minorities, we must remain true to the ideals of an enlightened civil society that thrives on diversity. The National Day of Reason, today, was initiated in 2003 to celebrate the universal appeal of reason and to highlight the unconstitutionality of government involvement in the National Day of Prayer.

Concern for preservation of the separation of church and state is shared by religious and nonreligious people alike.

The author is president of the Humanists of Broward County

Copyright 2004 Knight Ridder

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