National Day of Prayer ruled unconstitutional by U.S. District Judge

KANSAS CITY, KAN.—U.S.
Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, National Day of Prayer Task Force Chairman and wife of Focus on the Family Founder Dr. James Dobson, Shirley Dobson and ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow today called on Attorney General Eric Holder to appeal the ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb who ruled this week that the annual National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. Tiahrt is introducing a congressional resolution condemning this ill-advised decision and supporting the continued recognition of the National Day of Prayer.

“The National Day of Prayer is a time when we as a nation acknowledge our deep reliance on God and ask for his guidance in these uncertain times,” said Tiahrt. “From the earliest days of our nation’s history, our Founding Fathers and presidents have called for days of prayer and fasting to be observed. Judge Crabb’s misguided ruling against a long-established tradition was characteristic of liberal judicial activism that has sought to remove God from the public square. Attorney General Holder should immediately appeal the Wisconsin court’s ruling that found the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional.”

Perkins said, “This ruling does violence both to the U.S. Constitution and to the deeply-held convictions of the great majority of Americans that turning to God for guidance and strength is a wise and good thing to do. The Declaration of Independence asserts that the reality of our Creator and His gift to us of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ is ’self-evident.’ Perhaps Judge Crabb needs to consider these truths that are the very foundation of our country. Judge Crabb is showing disdain for the principles of our founding, contempt for America’s heritage, disinterest in the views of the vast majority of Americans and disregard for the will of Congress. She should be ashamed and her ruling should quickly be reversed.”

Dobson said, “Since the days of our Founding Fathers, the government has protected and encouraged public prayer and other expressions of dependence on the Almighty. This is a concerted effort by a small but determined number of people who have tried to prohibit all references to the Creator in the public square, whether it be the Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, or the simple act of corporate prayer – this is unconscionable for a free society.”

Sekulow said, “It is unfortunate that this court failed to understand that a day set aside for prayer for the country represents a time-honored tradition that embraces the First Amendment, not violates it.”

Tiahrt said, “Judge Crabb’s ruling was an offense to our constitutional rights and radically seeks to overturn more than two centuries of historic precedent rooted in Judeo-Christian values. Our Founding Fathers understood the absolute need for dependence upon God, and we are no less in need of his assistance today than when our country was founded. “In addition to an appeal of the ruling by the Justice Department, Congress should consider other actions to address the District Court’s ruling.”