White House to fight to preserve National Day of Prayer

[Bluebear]

(CNN) -- The Obama administration will fight to preserve the law establishing an annual National Day of Prayer, the Justice Department confirmed Thursday.

A federal judge declared the law unconstitutional last week.

The Justice Department's official filing of a "notice to appeal" Thursday came as no surprise, after White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said following the ruling that President Obama intends to recognize this year's National Day of Prayer, which is May 6.

U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb in Wisconsin ruled on April 15 that the 1952 law creating the National Day of Prayer violates the ban on government-backed religion.

The ruling produced predictable reactions, with most religious groups sharply criticizing it and groups backing a strict separation of church and state applauding it.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/22/national.day.of.prayer/

[saracat]

1. Odd there is actually less seperation of Church and Stae in an Obama WH than Bush's!

This combined with the expansion of the Office of Faith Based Iniatives is sickening. This is why those charter schools in Florida and other states that Arne wants to replace public schools with will get away with being religious and we will have to pay for them. It absolutelty infuriates me the type of crap this admin will fight for. No DADT Repeal, NO FOCA (those are just ponies and pet issues some say) But the WH can fight for a Day of Prayer? Still hoping for the Fundie vote? Ho's that bipartisanship working out for ya?

[cali]

13. not even close to true.

[saracat]

23. Really, what part of this is wrong? He is fighting publicly for the insertion of religion in

government and he DID expand the Office of Faith Based Initiatives beyond what Bush did. The best you can say is they are equal but Obama IS doing more to promote religion.

[muffin1]

35. I saw a snippet on KO or Rachel a few months ago,

and apparently someone has counted references to God by both bush and Obama. Obama is keeping up the pace of bush.

I don't care for religion mixed with politics - no matter who is doing it. :-(

[LWolf]

30. It's not odd. I think it was clear from the beginning that there wouldn't be. nt

[ZombieHorde]

2. More and more I believe religion is the mixing of the supernatural into one's political beliefs.

I am really tired, I think about this after I get some sleep.

[lazarus]

3. thanks a lot

I just love being thrown under the bus. :eyes:

Of course, this will go the Republican, er, Supreme Court, and they will hold that it's all just peachy, and the Founding Fathers didn't really mean for there to be a separation of church and state.

[Bluebear]

27. And the ruling will be 5-4

[Goldstein1984]

4. Half the people in this nation believe in Genesis

And it's the 21st Century!

I can't remember a speech that Obama hasn't concluded with "God bless America."

It's repulsive, but it's politics.

Politicians encourage belief in a higher power, then invoke that higher power when they want something like money or votes or going to war.

Religion is control, and control is power.

[sui generis]

15. politics and leadership aren't always the same thing

I voted for a leader, not a politician.

No, Obama is turning out to be all about the lip service, and little about real follow through. That's what happens when you act out of political expediency instead of what's right.

[snot]

5. How about a fight to restore human accountability rather than hoping for magic.

[Solly Mack]

6. k/r

[ima_sinnic]

7. finally, something for which he really IS a "fierce advocate"!

so a National Day of Prayer is more important and worth fighting for than single-payer universal health care, gays' human rights, bringing war criminals and traitors to justice, and ending the criminal racket in marijuana trafficking by legalizing pot.

how special.

[proudohioan]

17. You got that right!!! nt

[Hannah Bell]

8. Religion used to be used to control the rabble, & there's a long-standing & deliberate

effort to return the US to that state of affairs.

Along with the effort to privatize it completely & shrink government down to its pro-corporate, pro-elite functions only.

[proudohioan]

18. Sure, why not? Fascism can be FUN!!!!

:sarcasm:

[we can do it]

9. Won't Fight For Gays Will Fight For BS Day of Prayer - What a Crock

[sui generis]

14. And this is our Great Constitutional Scholar president?

Quick somebody give the man a pretzel.

[proudohioan]

19. Yeah, kinda scary, isn't it! nt

[robinblue]

33. very much so.

[Bluebear]

34. Constitutional Scholar fights for National Day Of Prayer

:scared:

[muffin1]

36. Maybe Rick Warren will be there, too!

:puke:

[KansasVoter]

10. Very disappointed....

Surprised Obama want religion in government!

[Jokerman]

11. A very sad K & R.

Sold out again.

[Mari333]

12. yep

[Mari333]

16. started with Rick Warren and its been downhill ever since

[IndianaGreen]

32. Perhaps Obama shares the same values as Rick Warren

His deeds, or misdeeds when it comes to LGBT rights, speak volumes as to how Obama really feels about gay folks.

[Goblinmonger]

20. I'm waiting for the "we shouldn't fight this" crowd

that usually chimes in. Don't want to get Fox news angry and give the moderates something to get pissed about.

Maybe that won't happen, but the smart money is on it.

I think the vocal atheists on DU made it pretty clear during the campaign that things of this nature would happen with Obama and we were told we were wrong and/or to shut up. It's a burden being right.

[Hubert Flottz]

21. The Prez is trying to counteract that shit that the wing nuts have...

been screaming to any fool that is stupid enough to pay attention to them, that "Obama is a Muslim"

What gets me about the Bible thumping morans is hoe easy they get their bloomers in a wad if someone says something that they don't like or agree with, but yet they want to judge and criticize everyone else. The thumpers can't stand to be disagreed with or criticized by us "Sinners" so they cry and cry and cry...It just makes me wonder how they'd hold up in the "Lion's Den" if a few words hurt them so badly?

[saracat]

24. So he is sacrificing the constitution to bolster his Christian credibility

and re-lectability with the fundie crowd, and at our expense? Nice.

[Bluebear]

29. in a nutshell.

[frylock]

26. best to just appease them..

it's a winning strategy to be sure. :sarcasm:

[Soylent Brice]

22. why appeal?

*sigh*

[Common Sense Party]

25. Damn that Harry Truman.

[Zhade]

28. It's illegal, you fucking magical-thinking assholes!

NT!

[Odin2005]

31. The Cheerleads will eb here soon enough defending this bullshit.

[Festivito]

37. I'll be the "crowd." I'll applaud it, especially knowing my group is less vocal.

I know the DU "strict" separation of church and state-ists disagree with me and I with them.