‘Americans United’ against National Day of Prayer
Written by Christopher Thielen in News, Opinion at October 8, 2010
Americans United for Separation of Church and State issued this press release asking the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm a lower court decision which declared the Congressionally-mandated National Day of Prayer unconstitutional.
The current incarnation of the U.S. National Day of Prayer began in 1952 when President Truman signed a bill requiring each future president to declare a day of their choice as a ‘national day of prayer’. The concept of a National Day of Prayer is somewhat simply argued against given the establishment clause of the in the First Amendment, which states clearly that Congress may not pass any law enforcing religious observance.
