Source: Only 'Pro-Life' White House Officials Invited to Prayer Day Event

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This is an organization that aligns itself with the conservative side of politics. Having taken no lessons from the last year or so, they continue to cajole as if their relevancy is unmistakable. In reality, they only further alienate those who can manage to think for themselves. Their inability to recognize their actual significance, or lack thereof, would be sad if I didn't think it was dishonest and (poorly) calculated.

Mer of CA 12:09PM May 09, 2009

A prayer is a well-wishing, a hope for the betterment of yourself or the people or the world around you. Everyone can pray -- Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Pagans, Christians, Deists, Shamans, and yes, even Atheists or Agnostics. The awful thing about the Day of Prayer is the way it is used as a vehicle for Christian evangelism. In effect, it is an infliction of one belief to the exclusion of anyone else's belief or non-belief. Praying by that or any other name is a natural expression of human beings. Everyone should be allowed to participate. A government of the Free should either assist with this or stay out of the prayer business altogether.

John of CA 12:00PM May 09, 2009

But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees from the hidden place will reward you.

Matthew of NY 10:59AM May 09, 2009

Seems to be about keeping women in their place and promoting mysogony and Patriarchy. The reach of religion into personal decisions that women make for themselves and their familes about whether to continue a pregnacy or not has no place in society. The "leave it to the states" BS is against the US Constitution which is a federal document. There is an ammendment which states that a woman has a RIGHT to a safe and legal abortion. It seems that before Roe V Wade was settled, women were having abortions by underground butchers that were killing born named REAL women. Republicans want to go back to the days when their rich relatives could fly somewhere else where abortion was legal, but poor and middle class women died at the hands of butchers. We will never go back, and the Republicans, if they continue trying to force women to have babies that they do not want, will stay irrelevant for YEARS to come, and righty so, as they are enfringing on rights given to women by the Constitution of the United States. Keep you fanatical religion off of the women in America's bodies!!

JAN of NJ 8:59AM May 09, 2009

"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
These are the first words of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
We should not have a National Day of Prayer at the United States Capitol.
The government should also not interfere with individuals or groups that wish to hold such a day off of government property and outside of government auspices.
The people who get upset about their inability to impose their religion on our government ignore the fact the "establishment of religion" clause is necessary to protect the "free exercise therof".
If the Dobsons and the rest of these folks want to be like the hypocrites of Matthew 6, they have that right, but the government should not be involved in such events.

jimatmadison of WI 5:22AM May 09, 2009

Is an excuse to stand on the street corner, and pray in public, like the Pharisees.

V. L. of CO 11:57PM May 08, 2009

This isn't prayer --it's a political rally. The Republicans will have to learn that you can get by on a wing and a prayer or wing nuts and a prayer.

EJ of IA 8:15PM May 08, 2009

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
~ Matthew 6:6
Of course, Christianity, as an organized religion, has very little to do with the teachings of Christ. How many Christians do you know who really believe in turning the other cheek, who love their enemies, and who don't judge so that they may not be judged?

Rand Kennedy of NM 7:43PM May 08, 2009

They pray one day a year? Sounds right. Maybe if they had a son in Afghanistan, they'd be way too busy praying on a daily basis to worry about who is not praying today.

ET in Texas of TX 5:56PM May 08, 2009

The simple political fact is that criminalization of abortion is a minority position, supported by a small, but loud slice of society. You have to ask the right question to get the real answer.
Most everyone is pro-life. Many anti-abortionists simply do not want abortion made widely available, but have no answer for the consequences of disobeying a law banning abortion. If such a law is passed based on the premise that a fetus is a living individual with legal rights, the crime would be murder or manslaughter, as many anti-abortion advocates now exclaim. This charge would logically apply to the mother, the physician, or both, and might qualify for the death penalty, if this argument is logically followed. Is that pro-life?
Conversely, there are also very few people who are pro-abortion, and see it as a good thing. So, we should all praise the Obama administration for taking a highly pragmatic approach in finding ways to minimize unwanted pregnancies and help avoid abortion.
Thus, the radical right position, that not supporting illegalization and criminalization of abortion is tantamount to advocating abortion, is simply ludicrous. It is an absurd, hateful and divisive crusade that can never be realized in a democratic society. Would Jesus want us to charge a woman with a crime for having an abortion?
Banning abortion does not stop a single abortion or help a single woman. Instead of religious zealotry ignorant of science, and pure ideology, we need to work together to get results for real people in real situations. That appears to me to be the more Christan approach.

AgentG of TX 5:52PM May 08, 2009