NDR Media Coverage

Raising Awareness

Groups focus on Thursday in May for distinctly different purposes.

by Jeannine F. Hunter

The day that's been singled out since 1988 as the National Day of Prayer has also been targeted for a different observance.

Nontheistic Americans - including freethinkers, humanists, atheists, agnostics and deists - hope some city governments will sanction the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Reason, an observance established two years ago. In this area, the Rationalists of East Tennessee have requested the city of Knoxville, the city of Maryville and the city of Oak Ridge consider issuing proclamations recognizing the day as a time to focus on the "employment of reason, critical thought, the scientific method and free inquiry to the resolution of human problems and for the welfare of humankind."

RET, which consists of people who identify themselves as skeptics, agnostics or secular humanists, is hosting a cookout Thursday evening at Tyson Park.

Reaction to the organization's proposal has been mixed.

"We won't be recognizing National Day of Reason," said Amy Nolan, a city of Knoxville spokeswoman. "The mayor didn't think it was something we could endorse. They sent us a sample proclamation, and we weren't comfortable with it."

Nor is the city declaring Thursday a Day of Prayer. Nolan said the city has not had a request to proclaim Thursday National Day of Prayer this year.

Pamela Arnett, public information officer for the city of Maryville, said Monday, "The city of Maryville has proclaimed May 5 as both National Day of Prayer and National Day of Reason, bringing attention to the importance of both prayer and reason in our community."

Amy Fitzgerald, government and public affairs coordinator for the city of Oak Ridge, said, "The city did adopt a proclamation in honor of the National Day of Prayer in our April 18 City Council meeting." She did not know the status of a request recognizing National Day of Reason Tuesday afternoon.

Many governmental leaders, including Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, mark the National Day of Prayer, which is headed up nationally by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family ministry founder Dr. James Dobson. Congress established the National Day of Prayer as an annual event in 1952, and since 1988, it has been observed on the first Thursday in May.

In Knoxville, some plan to gather at 12:20 p.m. at the City County Building for "Meet at City Hall," an event sponsored by the American Family Association's Knoxville affiliate on the day of prayer. AFA is a Christian organization that has recognized the National Day of Prayer for 20 years.

"We take the needs of our nation, and we pray for all three levels of the government. We pray for the state, local and national government," said organizer Gerald Clark. "We pray for the moral decay that is going on in this nation. We pray for our military across the world, particularly those stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan."

In Oak Ridge, residents will gather at noon for prayers led by retired military personnel, a schoolteacher and a student, among others, at A.K. Bissell Park. About 18 ministries are participating, said organizer the Rev. Robert May.

"This event has developed into a very broad area of ministry," said the pastor of Oak Ridge Family Bible Church. "It is not just for the government leaders but leaders of all branches in our community."

RET members do not seek to place secularism above theism, but to raise public awareness about perceived government intrusion that threatens religious liberty.

"The National Day of Prayer Web site suggests that the holiday, in spite of its being sectarian - limited to the Judeo-Christian tradition - does not constitute a church-state separation issue," said RET President Daryl Houston. "But the holiday was created by an act of Congress. This seems pretty clearly to be in violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution, which reads in part, 'Congress shall make no law respecting (an) establishment of religion.'

"That clause also prohibits Congress from making any laws prohibiting the practice of religion, and I think that's appropriate."

Copyright 2005 Knoxville News-Sentinel

Read the original story on the News-Sentinel Web Site.

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