On Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:48:14 -0800, Darren New wrote:

> Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:40:03 -0800, Darren New wrote:
>> 
>>> Jim Henderson wrote:
>>>> Now tell me how a declaration of a National Day of Prayer by the
>>>> executive branch is (a) Congress establishing a law respecting the
>>>> establishment of religion, or (b) prohibits the free exercise
>>>> thereof.
>>> I'll just point out again that it wasn't the executive branch, but the
>>> congress, that declared a national day of prayer.
>> 
>> Somehow I missed that,
> 
> Yeah. NDoP was established back when we were fighting the godless
> communists in the 1950's.

Yes, back in 1952, but such a thing did actually exist off and on going 
back to the 1700s in the US.  The Continental Congress declared an NDP 
back in 1775, and Washington proclaimed a day of public thanksgiving and 
prayer back in 1795.  (Obviously, the 1775 reference predates the US 
Constitution).  President Madison also declared an observance around 1813 
as well.

So did Lincoln back in 1863.

Jefferson opposed it the idea in 1808.

The law as it stands today, just requires the President select a day for 
NDP - it doesn't really say anything about what such prayer should be or 
which denomination/religion/belief system should be the basis for such 
selection.

Jim

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