Shouldn't "national" include everyone?

For those who missed it, yesterday, May 1, was the "National Day of Prayer." There have been various days so designated throughout the history of our country, but Ronald Reagan signed the legislation making May 1 the official day. In recognition of full disclosure, I should tell you that I preached at a "National Day of Prayer" service at Dahlgren Naval Base in Virginia in the 1980's.

While such services have been taking place for a while, there is a growing movement to include people from all faith traditions. Ah, you may say, but everyone in our country is free to pray for this country and its leaders whenever they like. That is true, but the official National Day of Prayer Committee, who met at the White House to receive a copy of the Presidential Proclamation declaring this day as a day of prayer from President Bush, defines this day as emphasizing Christian purposes. From the official website for the National Day of Prayer comes this information:

Our Vision and Values

In accordance with Biblical truth, the National Day of Prayer Task Force seeks to:
- Foster unity within the Christian Church
- Protect America's Constitutional Freedoms to gather, worship, pray and speak freely.
- Publicize and preserve America's Christian heritage
- Encourage and emphasize prayer, regardless of current issues and positions
- Respect all people, regardless of denomination or creed
- Be wise stewards of God's resources and provision
- Glorify the Lord in word and deed

Who We Are and What We Do

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Our Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose it is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America's leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.

Official Policy Statement on Participation of "Non-Judeo-Christian" groups in the National Day of Prayer:

The National Day of Prayer Task Force was a creation of the National Prayer Committee for the expressed purpose of organizing and promoting prayer observances conforming to a Judeo-Christian system of values. People with other theological and philosophical views are, of course, free to organize and participate in activities that are consistent with their own beliefs. This diversity is what Congress intended when it designated the Day of Prayer, not that every faith and creed would be homogenized, but that all who sought to pray for this nation would be encouraged to do so in any way deemed appropriate. It is that broad invitation to the American people that led, in our case, to the creation of the Task Force and the Judeo-Christian principles on which it is based.

Now, this seems to me to be more of a "All Christian Day of Prayer" because Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., are invited to pray on their own and not be a part of the official observances of the day and would not be as concerned to "foster the unity of the Christian church" as Christians would. But, then, it would not sit too well with folks for the President to sign a proclamation suggesting that Christianity is the only religious group he wants to pray for this country.

It is not that other religious groups have not tried to be included in their local community observance of the day. According to a Christian Science Monitor story from April 30 and written by Jane Lampman, "The Interfaith Alliance of Central California plans to hold its own inclusive prayer event as well as a protest in Fresno. The multifaith group had asked to participate in the task force observance planned for the steps of city hall there but was refused. (emphasis added) So the members will conduct a quiet protest at the site, carrying signs that say 'One Nation, Many Faiths.'"

This whole project raises just a host of questions for me. I do not wonder whether people of faith ought to pray for our country and its leadership, but I do wonder whether there ought to be an "officially [as in governmentally designated] day" to do so. [Just a note: In addition to a national proclamation issued by the White House and signed by the President, there are also state proclamations for every state signed by governors.] If it is to be an officially designated day, shouldn't it include all people of faith who want to participate? What does the current practice of the Christians on the official board telling people of other faith that "they can pray, but just not with us" say about our country? With a day like this so designated and supported at the highest levels of government, how can some Christians continue to speak about the anti-Christian bias in this country?