The state of Colorado had a day of prayer in May, and they are being sued by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). The FFRF says that such a day violates the principle of "separation of church and state."
How ironic. As you may know, the phrase "separation of church and state" is not in our Constitution. It was used by Thomas Jefferson in a letter, but has more recently been used by some courts to justify decisions that limit religious expression, and has also become a well-used phrase in public discourse. As President, Jefferson would not declare a National Day of Prayer, even though Washington had done so. The reason was that Jefferson thought such a declaration should not be done by the Federal Government. However, as Virginia's governor, Jefferson DID declare a state day of fasting and prayer.
So we have taken a phrase that had been used by Jefferson to try to prohibit a practice that Jefferson obviously approved of.
All 50 states have declared a day of prayer in 2008.
Read the article here:
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