DAY OF PRAYER EXHIBITS LITTLE FAITH IN REASON
Written by ERIC ZORN

Once again this year, proclamations heralding Thursday's National Day of Prayer are gushing in honor of religious tolerance and liberty.

President George W. Bush's proclamation asks "Americans of many faiths and traditions" to "give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God's continued guidance, comfort, and protection."

Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proclamation fawns over this "celebration of American citizens' freedom of religion ... which embraces the many diverse communities of faith that have infused our society."

But, in fact, the National Day of Prayer does not embrace diversity. It's now basically a Christian observance, with more than 30,000 events nationwide promoted by the National Day of Prayer Task Force, an organization that requires its volunteer coordinators to agree to a statement that reads in part, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the only one by which I can obtain salvation and have an ongoing relationship with God."

Blagojevich's proclamation says that "the theme for the National Day of Prayer 2007 is `America Unite in Prayer.'" This theme comes directly from the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

"We're not an official group," said task force spokesman Michael Calhoun in response to a question I left on his voice mail. "Where did you get that idea?"

From "National Day of Prayer Official Website," the logo on top of every page at ndptf.org, I told him.

"Oh," he said. "That just means we're the official Web site of the task force that promotes the Judeo-Christian expression of the National Day of Prayer."

A "Judeo-Christian expression" that excludes Jews?"

"Right," Calhoun said.

Well, OK. But reason would tell you that government officials at all levels ought to distance themselves from such blatant sectarianism. And reason would also add that a society that genuinely values freedom of religion would avoid playing favorites in this arena, would include atheism under the umbrella of belief and would leave it to the clergy to issue calls to prayer.

Thoughts like this gave birth, four years ago, to the National Day of Reason. It's held on the same day as the National Day of Prayer -- the first Thursday of May -- and was co-founded by the American Humanist Association.

The goal, says the mission statement, is "to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship."

Among the suggested observances is giving blood.

"We have nothing against people praying," said Fred Edwords, director of communication for American Humanist Association. "We simply don't think the president and other government leaders should be encouraging it in their official capacities."

Better they should encourage reason, Edwords said. It's something every American practices every day, and yet which still seems to remain in somewhat short supply.

"We should all use reason more than we do," he said.

The National Day of Reason Web site argues that government has no business cozying up to the religious right, telling Americans that they should pray, or assuring them, as Bush does in this year's proclamation, that "God hears the prayers of his children and shows grace to those who seek him."

Reason, not faith, is "the guiding principle of our secular democracy," says the site.

Reason is also our best hope in the international battle against religious extremists whose religious belief tells them that God wants us dead.

But, of course, American politicians won't go anywhere near that idea. Of the 136 "organizational endorsers" of the National Day of Reason listed on the Web, not one is affiliated with government at any level.

Edwords said that repeated efforts to have Bush proclaim his support for non-prayer along with his support for prayer have been a failure.

That failure is all you need to know about why America so badly needs the National Day of Reason.