Is National Prayer Day Constitutional?

OVER 100 MORE examples of Fox News Bias at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A3BD2524FE99BD4D

When federal judge Barbara Crabb found unconstitutional the National Day of Prayer established by Congress in 36 U.S.C. § 119, I knew Fox News and BIll O'Reilly would spin the meaning of the First Amendment in the so-called "No Spin Zone" which is exactly what happened on last Friday's episode of "The O'Reilly Factor" as I show in this video.

You can read the full text of Judge Barbara Crabb's opinion and order in the Freedom From Religion Foundation vs Obama case at http://www.wiwd.uscourts.gov/assets/pdf/FFRF_v_Obama_Order.pdf

The clips I show of Bill O'Reilly, Courtney Friel, and Greg Gutfeld come from a segment of Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" broadcast on April 16, 2010, which is available online in full at http://activitypit.ning.com/video/video/show?id=1981927%3AVideo%3A1638579

The image I show of the several draft versions of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment come from the webpage at http://www.religioustolerance.org/amend_1.htm

And, finally, the quotes I use from James Madison come from his c. 1817 document titled "Detached Memoranda" which is available in full online at http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendI_religions64.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Fox
• News
• Bill
• O'Reilly
• National
• day
• of
• prayer
• the
• oreilly
• factor
• first
• amendment
• wisconsin
• judge
• barbara
• crabb
• united
• states
• us
• constitution
• establishment
• clause
• freedom
• from
• religion
• foundation
• atheist
• secularist
• separation
• church
• state
• Courtney
• Friel
• Greg
• Gutfeld
• obama
• gibbs
• liberal
• viewer
• liberalviewer

[RichardTeh3rd]

I cant wait for these people to all die out

[canesrule96]

Well, banning the national day of prayer is unconstitutional. The same laws that give people the right not to pray, gives them the right to pray. I say, have the day, who cares? If they try to force atheist to pray, then we can slam them.

[Curassus]

I bet you if they made a National Secular Day they would flip shit and say it's unconstitutional.

[Ant42Lee]

@laoi Just to play devil's advocate, is the National Day of Prayer necessarily intended to promote Christianity? Or can't it be for anyone who wants to use the day to pray with others?

[TheUberAtheist]

Billo Willey's A JOKE!!!

[MrFreezeframe666]

Here is what I find truly frightening. I am finding that athiests in the US and here in Can. are are actually attacking R. Dawkins for his efforts to get US children educated properly. Saying that he is arrogant and indochtrinating children. It seems to matter not that by the age of 15 US kids are near the lowest in 1st world countries in scientific knowledge... This in a country with a constitution tailor made to circumvent this type of travesty. THANK YOU MR. DAWKINS SIR!

[18booma]

Run, easter bunny, RUN!

[laoi]

A national day of prayer gives a false impression that this country is christian and it promotes a single religion. It is unconstitutional. It really is that simple. If christians want to pray, they can do it on their own time, and not make a national day of it.

[dojoma630]

Most religious freaks have a prayer day, its Sunday of every week( or every night of every day for the really delusional ones) This country DOES NOT need a "national prayer day". It will solve NOTHING. Religious people just cant let it be can they? Pray in your church, pray in your home, pray quietly without opening your mouth. You have NO need to pray in public nor in an assembled group Your silly unproven rituals had NO place in reality. You'll get the same results praying to a pencil.

[bRizzle2009100]

@LiberalViewer

#1. Liberal Viewer what religion is the national day of prayer establishing? In order to violate the establishment clause it has to establish a national religion, what religion is it establishing?

#2. Liberal Viewer you failed to point out that Madison himself issued days of fasting and prayer with hymns to go along with them as POTUS. So did Washington and Adams. I thought that was very relevant to the conversation and yet you failed to mention it.

[Tokajein]

@canesrule96 I would love to see someone pray to Satan on that day.

[cmillerpa33]

There should not be a law to make a National day of Prayer. If people want to make a National day of prayer thats what freedom of religion is all about. Don't force it, but let it be. Where are these judges when things like the Patriot act and NDAA are being made to law? They only use the constitution when it suits them.