Missouri Congressman Todd Akin has sharply condemned the recent decision by a federal judge that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb of Wisconsin ruled that the national prayer observance amounted to an establishment of religion, and thus violates the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The lawsuit was brought by the atheist organization The Freedom from Religion Foundation. "This decision flies in the face of reason as well as our nation's spiritual heritage," Akin says. " I am hopeful that our higher courts will exercise greater wisdom and overturn this petty attack against a wonderful shared spiritual heritage of prayer. It is a tragedy that such rancor has been fomented by those who are adamant in their contempt for bringing Americans of various faiths together during a day of prayer. Akin pointed out that there have been 135 national calls to prayer, fasting, and Thanksgiving by Presidents of the United States since the first one was issued by President Washington in 1789. Congress formally established a National Day of Prayer in 1952, and every President since then has issued an annual National Day of Prayer proclamation. In 1988 Congress formally established the first Thursday in May as the date of the annual prayer observance. The National Day of Prayer Task Force is urging President Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appeal Judge Crabb's decision. "Since the Days of our Founding Fathers, the government has protected and encouraged public prayer and other expressions of dependence on the Almighty," says Shirley Dobson, chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. "This is a concerted effort by a small but determined number of people who have tried to prohibit all references to our Creator in the public square, whether it be the Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, or the simple act of corporate prayer--this is unconscionable for a free society." "This type of ruling, if not corrected on appeal, will continue the erosion of our religious heritage and freedom," an NDP spokesman said further. "It allows a handful of people to use the courts to restrict the genuine constitutional rights enjoyed by the majority of Americans merely because those few people claim to be 'offended'." Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) believes the case is likely to end up before the nation's highest court. He says the likelihood that the Supreme Court will hear the case reinforces the critical importance of President Obama's next Supreme Court appointment. The President has stated that he will make an announcement before the end of May of his choice to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. In response to Judge Crabb's decision, the American Family Association (AFA) is urging a strong public outpouring on this year's National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 6th. AFA is mounting a campaign called "Meet at City Hall." The group is urging citizens to gather at their respective city halls in their communities from 12:20 to 12:40 to pray for the moral rebirth of the United States of America. "It is preposterous to suggest that there is anything unconstitutional about a national day of prayer," says Tim Wildmon, President of AFA. "Judge Crabb seems dangerously unaware of American history and the true meaning of the First Amendment, which was designed to protect freedom of religious expression, not stamp it out." You can learn more about the National Day of Prayer by visiting their website at this link: National Day of Prayer You can also sign a petition to President Obama by visiting the NDP link, going to the "news" menu item, scrolling to "Save the National Day of Prayer," and clicking the "petition" menu item.
NDP Missouri Events. In related action, Missouri Congressmen Todd Akin and Roy Blunt have joined in a friend-of-the-court brief concerning the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance. The American Center for Law and Justice is urging the First Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm a federal court decision in New Hampshire which upheld the use of the words "under God" in the Pledge. The Freedom from Religion Foundation also filed this suit, claiming that the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools was a violation of the so-called separation of church and state. The federal district court concluded that the New Hampshire law authorizing students to recite the Pledge was designed to "foster a sense of patriotism." The judge declared: "The Pledge is one of allegiance to our Republic, not of allegiance to God or any religion." ACLJ filed the amicus brief on behalf of 42 members of Congress including Akin and Blunt. "This is nothing more than another futile attempt to rewrite history," Sekulow says. "The words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance echo the sentiments found in the Declaration of Independence and recognize the truth that our freedoms come from God." We encourage you to pray that our nation and it leaders and our judiciary will acknowledge the bedrock beliefs of our Founding Fathers, namely that our liberties are divine blessings granted by God and not created and granted by any government of men. May our nation and its courts once again value and respect our God-given right to acknowledge and revere God as the Supreme Ruler in the life our nation and its people.