What the F**k? Obama Preserving the National Day of Prayer?
I was pleased to hear that a federal court had decided that the “National Day of Prayer” was crap and violated the constitution. I was not pleased when Monicks twittered that the president was going to “fight to preserve it.” Naturally I followed her link and was disappointed to read the following from CNN:
The Obama administration will fight to preserve the law establishing an annual National Day of Prayer, the Justice Department confirmed Thursday.
A federal judge declared the law unconstitutional last week.
The Justice Department’s official filing of a “notice to appeal” Thursday came as no surprise, after White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said following the ruling that President Obama intends to recognize this year’s National Day of Prayer, which is May 6.
U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb in Wisconsin ruled on April 15 that the 1952 law creating the National Day of Prayer violates the ban on government-backed religion.
The ruling produced predictable reactions, with most religious groups sharply criticizing it and groups backing a strict separation of church and state applauding it.
The injunction against the National Day of Prayer would not take effect until the appeals have been exhausted.
The case is Freedom From Religion v. President Barack Obama, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
So don’t we have better things to do? Good grief! Bow your heads; pray to a deity that dances on bull shit, and go about your business. What the fuck is wrong with America?
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Professor Mike
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Digg…
While posting on DIGG yesterday I noticed this…
If this means a day of paid vacation on the calendar, and a holiday from school, I am all for it. If it means another day like Sunday where the blue laws rule, NOPE!
Politics.
The fact that a pretzeldent has to waste his or her time playing such a political game with something as utterly pointless as a National Day of Prayer (its use in invoking positive sporting outcomes excepted, such as the USA actually advancing past group play) merely offers more proof of just how fucked up this country is.
I don’t think it likely that Obama is a Goddist Infidel, but he does have to play the political game. Still I think there are a lot more important issues on the table.
Unfortunately, the political calculation here is all too easy to see.
While the ruling against any official day of prayer is clearly right from a Constitutional viewpoint, it appeals radical not only to right-wingers but also to a lot of people in the political center (remember, 85% of Americans are at least nominally religious in some way). Accetping the decision without a fight would thus position Obama as a radical, something he doesn’t want.
He may also feel that this is a symbolic, low-importance issue, and there’s a case to be made for that. As objectionable as this, is, I’d rather Obama spent his political capital on something more substantive, like a Supreme Court pick who’d be a solid vote to protect Roe v. Wade and gay marriage against the inevitable fundamentalist challenges.
It’s even remotely possible that Obama actually believes in God. Not very likely, but it can’t be ruled out.
I completely support a National Day Of Prayer.
However, it has to coincide with England’s World Cup Games.
Dear God (or the deity of your choice), Please let England win The World Cup.
If you do I will go to church every Sunday for at least three weeks (and you have to admit that, from your perpective, that is a result)
Yours blasphemously,
4D
ps…I rather fancy a fish supper…you in?
USA is taking England June 12. 2-1.