US National Day of Prayer Ruled Unconstitutional

[JoeyKnothead]

From the article here:

A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional Thursday, saying the day amounts to a call for religious action.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote that the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic.

For debate:

Should the National Day of Prayer be considered constitutional or not?

[McCulloch]

Ok...I can certainly respect the promotion of tolerance of those without faith by society, but how exactly does one make someone who does not have faith participate in prayer?

You're at a gathering of the clan and before the meal is served, Aunt Dorothy loudly that we're all to join hands while Uncle Alvin returns thanks. Family gatherings are not like internet debate sites, so you meekly allow the hand on one side to be grasped and gingerly hold on to the sweaty mitt of the cousin on the other side. Heads are bowed, thanks are addressed to Our Heavenly Father, in Jesus Name.

You have not prayed, but you have participated in the ritual. It would be rude not to, but it is just as rude for them to expect your participation. But you never never would point that out to them.

[ChaosBorders]

Ok...I can certainly respect the promotion of tolerance of those without faith by society, but how exactly does one make someone who does not have faith participate in prayer?

You're at a gathering of the clan and before the meal is served, Aunt Dorothy loudly that we're all to join hands while Uncle Alvin returns thanks. Family gatherings are not like internet debate sites, so you meekly allow the hand on one side to be grasped and gingerly hold on to the sweaty mitt of the cousin on the other side. Heads are bowed, thanks are addressed to Our Heavenly Father, in Jesus Name.

You have not prayed, but you have participated in the ritual. It would be rude not to, but it is just as rude for them to expect your participation. But you never never would point that out to them.

So a national day of non-prayer would be pointing out that it is rude to expect someone to join in. Fair enough. Having been in that situation I can see your point. On the other hand, I generally recognized that more often than not I could have avoided whatever situation led to the prayer, and if it really bothered me that much I could choose not to participate in the ritual (though I was never particularly concerned with politeness).

[ChaosBorders]

Where the government makes such proclamations, it is assumed a "patriot" would abide by the directive, so those who didn't follow the directive would be "unpatriotic". I base my opinions on this notion.

Following my clarification above, yes, all would be asked to refrain, even if the actual wording may be to 'encourage'.

Which would move us back to point 1, the hypocrisy of asking non-theists to pray (per my notion), and then not abiding when asked to not pray.

Perhaps. I'm not particularly patriotic, so am not inclined to care about such proclamations. I would not pray if asked if I did not want to, and now I would not refrain from praying if I did not choose to. What the government 'proclaims' is of little importance to me. I ask no non-theists to pray regardless of what day it is, and would ignore any requests of myself to not pray.