The National Day of Prayer is an annual civic and religious observance established by Congress in 1952 and later mandated to fall on the first Thursday of each May. The first official National Day of Prayer was proclaimed by President Harry S Truman.
Two court rulings, in 2010 and 2011, have made the day particularly controversial.
The National Day of Prayer does not specify denomination and is proclaimed each year by the president. However, some groups feel that the proclamation violates the separation of church and state even though no religious group is singled out.
This source guide provides resources for covering the issue.
Background
In an April 15, 2010, decision, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb ruled that the law specifying the annual establishment of the National Day of Prayer “goes beyond mere ‘acknowledgment’ of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context.”
However, in 2011, an appeals court overturned that decision. The Presidential Proclamation for a National Day of Prayer was deemed constitutional by the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Wisconsin, filed a lawsuit claiming that the president’s proclamation was a breach of church and state. The court found that the group could not prove injury and overturned Crabb’s ruling.
Resources
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“Presidential Proclamation — National Day of Prayer”
After Crabb’s ruling, the White House said President Barack Obama would continue the tradition of issuing a proclamation for the National Day of Prayer, and he issued one on April 30, 2010.
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“America’s National Day of Prayer (2006)”
The Pluralism Project at Harvard University has a good background paper on the history of the National Day of Prayer.
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“National Day of Prayer — Pew analysis”
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has an analysis of the attitudes and practices of Americans regarding prayer.
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National Day of Reason
The National Day of Reason is held each May as a counterpoint to the National Day of Prayer.
Articles and blog posts
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“Federal judge: National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional”
Read an April 15, 2010, Christian Science Monitor article about Crabb’s ruling.
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“More Prayer than Protests”
The “Political Advocacy Tracker” at Christianity Today has a roundup of reactions from Christian groups to the 2010 National Day of Prayer court ruling.
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“National day of prayer and controversy”
See reactions to the 2010 court ruling from various contributors at a special section from The Washington Post‘s “On Faith” blog.
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“Franklin Graham cut from Pentagon prayer event for anti-Islam remarks”
This April 22, 2010, Washington Post article discusses how Franklin Graham, son of popular evangelist Billy Graham, was left off the program for a National Day of Prayer event due to his remarks on Islam.
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“Appeals court rules National Day of Prayer constitutional”
Read an April 2011 article from USA Today about the appeals court ruling on the National Day of Prayer.
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“Az court gives nod to Brewer’s ‘Day of Prayer'”
Read a June 12, 2013, Tucson Sentinel article about an Arizona court dismissing a lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation after Gov. Jan Brewer proclaimed an “Arizona Day of Prayer.”
Organizations
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National Day of Prayer Task Force
The National Day of Prayer Task Force is a private organization headed by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. The group, whose mission is to “publicize and preserve America’s Christian heritage,” organizes National Prayer Day events.
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Freedom From Religion Foundation
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is based in Madison, Wisconsin, and has become one of the leading activist groups on the nontheist scene. The foundation publishes Freethought Today magazine.
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Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Americans United for Separation of Church and State describes itself as a “nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving church-state separation to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.”