Prayer Back on Trial in the Court of Public Opinion

Today, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas was decried for calling for a day of prayer for "God’s guidance and wisdom in addressing the challenges that face our communities, states and nation."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/07/perrys-planned-prayer-event-draws-condemnation/#ixzz1OfCRqYKQ

These cries come from religious freedom groups and atheists who claim the governor overstepped his bounds, that he exclusively endorsed Christianity by praying in Christ’s name, and that he violated the separation of church and state. 

I want to take a few minutes to talk about this issue, because I think we as Americans ignore a few things way too often. 

First, like it or not, our country was founded by Christians.  This fact is one that liberal historians would like to hide from today's educational process but none the less, it is a fact – a truth.  The framers of the constitution did not envision an atheistic state when they crafted our constitution.  No, they did not see religious freedom as we do today either, and they sure didn't see a government that completely excluded religion.  The framers were God fearing men who all believed in God. 

They wanted to prevent a theocratic government.  They did not want any one church or religion imposed onto the people by the government.  They saw how theocracies devastated governments throughout history, and did not want our country to fall into that path.  Instead, they wanted a government that could be controlled by the people through a process of electing legislators and executives with a check and balance system effected by a central court.  They wanted the people to be able to choose, not be ruled over.

Another interesting anecdote from history is that while the Executive Branch of the federal government was constitutionally restricted from enjoining religion, the Congress and the states were and still are not.  One of the most poignant examples of this can be seen in Thomas Jefferson.  As governor of Virginia, Jefferson called for days of prayer and  fasting by gubernatorial decree.  As a state senator, he wrote and voted for bills calling for the same.  However, when Jefferson was president, he refrained from these decrees because he knew the president could not call for such days under the laws of the constitution. 

The whole “separation of church and state thing” came from a Supreme Court ruling in the 1950’s – not from the constitution itself, nor from a legislative process.  Basically, if you want to look at it this way, a bunch of lawyers argued and bullied their viewpoint into law via the court.  There was no debate, no voting, no majority influence.  The court’s decision became the “law” we live with today.  Understand it came from the summation of arguments made before justices of the Supreme Court.  As a result, the majority of citizens (and most people are religiously oriented, no matter what their religious viewpoint) now have no right to exercise their majority viewpoint because the court silenced them over 60 years ago.  So this is “modern, progressive thought” resulted in minority rule, or stated in other terms - imposition.

I completely support Governor Perry’s call for prayer.  Just what is so wrong with praying anyway?  What happens if it gets answered!

As a Christian, I am glad to see a governor stand up for Christ.  But more importantly, I am very glad to see a governor who is willing to acknowledge the need for people to center their hope in something more than just laws or governments.  I believe the decay of our human society today is largely accelerated by hope’s assassination by science, technology, social trends, and biased (liberal) education.  What hope can people find in the nothingness of atheism, or the greed and immorality of humanism?

If you don’t want to pray – don’t.  If you don’t want to hear the governor’s prayer – don’t listen.  But don’t denigrate people’s access to hope by imposing minority views.

Your thoughts and comments invited!