Presidential Prayer Proclamations, 1841 - 1865

Recently in the news and on this blog, there has been discussion about a federal judge's ruling that our tradition of declaring a national day of prayer is not constitutional. Such a belief overlooks the fact that the men who wrote and ratified the Constitution petitioned our first President to declare such a day. The tradition continued until our current history.

Below are the proclamations that were made after James Madison's Presidency and until 1865 (in case you were wondering):

1841 - Tyler Proclamation on April 13, 1841. A “day of fasting and prayer” set apart on May 14, 1841. Reflecting on the sudden death of newly elected President William Henry Harrison motivated the call to prayer.


1860 - James Buchanan Proclamation on December 14, 1860. A “day . . . for Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer” set apart on January 4, 1861. Reflecting on the “present distracted and dangerous condition” of the country motivated the call to humiliation and prayer.


1861 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on August 12, 1861. A “day of humiliation, prayer, and fasting” set apart on “the last Thursday in September next[.]” Reflecting on the outbreak of civil war motivated the call to prayer. Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on March 30, 1863. A “day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer” set apart on April 30, 1863. Reflecting on the destruction caused by civil war motivated the call to prayer.


1862 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on April 10, 1862. A day to “render thanks to our Heavenly Father” for the victories won by the Union forces and to “implore spiritual consolation on behalf of all who have been brought into affliction” by the civil war. The day was set apart for the “next weekly assemblages in [the people’s] accustomed places of public worship[.]”


1863 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on July 15, 1863. A “day for national thanksgiving, praise, and prayer” set apart on August 6, 1863. Reflecting on the civil war and recent victories won by Union forces motivated the call to prayer.


1863 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on October 3, 1863. A “day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens” set apart on “the last Thursday of November next[.]” Reflecting on the providence of Almighty God at the close of the year motivated the call to prayer.


1864 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on July 7, 1864. A “day of national humiliation and prayer” set apart on “the first Thursday of August next[.]” Reflecting on the ending of civil war motivated the call to prayer.


1864 - Abraham Lincoln Proclamation on October 20, 1864. A “day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God” set apart on “the last Thursday in November next[.]”37 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer


1864 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on April 29, 1865. A “day for special humiliation and prayer” originally set apart for May 25, 1865 postponed until June 1, 1865.38 The original proclamation setting apart May 25 conflicted with Easter, a day “sacred to large numbers of Christians as one of rejoicing for the ascension of the Savior[.]”


1865 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on April 25, 1865. A “day of humiliation and mourning” and “humbling ourselves before Almighty God” set apart on May 25, 1865. Reflecting on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln motivated the call to prayer.


1865 - Andrew Johnson Proclamation on October 28, 1865. A “day of national thanksgiving to the Creator of the Universe” and “confession of our national sins against His infinite goodness” set apart on “the first Thursday of December next[.]”39 Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer. 

The quotes above and the citations for them can be found in the ACLJ's amicus brief linked from this page:

ACLJ: Court Decision Declaring National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional 'Flawed' - Case Could End Up At Supreme Court

The Father of the Constitution Calls for National Day of Prayer

In a previous post on this blog (Judge Declares National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional) we heard about a federal judge who declared that our 235-year-old tradition of declaring a national day of prayer was not constitutional. That's correct - the tradition started by the men who wrote the U.S. Constitution is not constitutional. I guess they should have paid closer attention to what they were writing. And the part of the Constitution that this violates is the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." Yes, they cared so little about those ten words that... Wait a minute. They actually debated just how to craft those words for days and days. James Madison, who penned the words after each debate, went through several drafts to finally get the words above. Maybe they actually knew what they meant!

James Madison himself, a little more than 10 years after the Constitution's ratification, began to declare national days of prayer at the urging of Congress. As such he became created 4 of the 164 instances of national prayer days in our history. Here are the examples:

James Madison Proclamation on July 9, 1812. A “day of public humiliation and prayer” set apart on “the third Thursday in August,” 1812. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.


James Madison Proclamation on July 23, 1813. A “day of public humiliation and prayer” set apart on “second Thursday in September,” 1813. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.


James Madison Proclamation on November 16, 1814. A “day of public humiliation and fasting and of prayer” set apart on January 12, 1815. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.


James Madison Proclamation on March 4, 1815. A “day of thanksgiving and of devout acknowledgments to Almighty God for His great goodness manifested in restoring to them the blessing of peace” set apart on the “second Thursday in April next[.]”8 Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.

The quotes above and the citations for them can be found in the ACLJ's amicus brief linked from this page:

ACLJ: Court Decision Declaring National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional 'Flawed' - Case Could End Up At Supreme Court

Nearly 2/3 of Americans Think Courts Are Too Anti-Religious

Rasmussen Reports is know for its polling on a variety of issues. They became more well know during the last couple of national election cycles, when Rasmussen polls predicted the outcomes with impressive accuracy.
Bur Rasmussen also polls about non-election issues. In a recent poll they asked about public opinion of court decisions that have leaned toward limiting religious expression in the the public sphere, have taken prayer out of schools, etc., based on the notion that our Founders intended a "separation of church and state." 64% said the courts are more anti-religious than the Founders intended. On the specific question of prayer in schools, results showed people in favor of school prayer by 61% versus 31% who do not favor prayer in schools.

An earlier Rasmussen poll showed the public in favor of religious symbols on public land by 76%.

Of course, the courts are not supposed to decide cases based on public opinion, so they should not be watching polls about each case before them. But it appears to me that a majority of people share my view that the court is not interpreting the Constitution correctly, or perhaps are even choosing to ignore it in favor of more vague concepts like "fairness."

The poll results were somewhat a surprise to me because it seems that some of the important history of our country is not being taught effectively in public schools, and many students are not learning about our founding documents.

Read the full results below, including links to related polls.

64% Say Judges More Anti-Religious Than Founding Fathers Intended

What Do We Need in the New Supreme Court Justice?

If you follow almost any source of U.S. news you will know that Justice John Paul Stevens is about to retire from the U.S. Supreme Court. As soon as the retirement was announced, speculation began about what kind of nominee President Obama would choose to replace him. And of course various interests will no doubt be lobbying for particular kind of nominee.

One party expressing interest is Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He said that, "Justice Stevens is an icon -- a thoughtful, perceptive justice who understands the role of church-state separation in American life..." He also said, "It is vitally important that President Obama choose a high-court nominee who understands that government may not meddle in matters of religion."

And there we have a good example of one side's position. It is important to note that the Constitution does not contain the phrase "separation of church and state" or "church-state separation." Those are forms of a metaphor Jefferson once used to describe the religious Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. That clause says simply, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." The other half of that portion of the First Amendment, the Free Exercise clause, says, "[Congress shall make no law] prohibiting the free exercise thereof;" If one wishes to rely on a metaphor to understand the meaning of the clause (a dangerous practice), one might with to think of a phrase Jefferson used many more times: "freedom of religion."

But even going to Lynn's words above ("government may not meddle in matters of religion"), one could have trouble understanding Stevens' opinions on several cases. In one case, he sided with those who would strike down an Alabama law allowing student-led prayer in public school. If the hand of government is not supposed to meddle in religion, how do we interpret the action of the Federal Government striking down a state law that allowed student-led prayer? Which demonstrates more government meddling, a law that allows students to initiate prayer, or The Supreme Court of the United States saying that students may not initiate their own prayers in public school events?

Personally, I don't want a new justice who pushes my own agenda. Nor do I want one who opposes it. The role of the Court is to interpret the laws based on the U.S. Constitution. They are not supposed to decide if a law is a nice thing, or if a law is important to our society. They are simply to evaluate laws based on the requirements and limits of the Constitution.

Read more below:

Church-state advocates urge strong successor for Stevens

Founders Did Not Understand the Constitution They Wrote

In a previous post on this blog (Judge Declares National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional) we heard about a federal judge who declared that our 235-year-old tradition of declaring a national day of prayer was not constitutional. That's correct - the tradition started by the men who wrote the U.S. Constitution is not constitutional. I guess they should have paid closer attention to what they were writing. And the part of the Constitution that this violates is the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." Yes, they cared so little about those ten words that... Wait a minute. They actually debated just how to craft those words for days and days. James Madison, who penned the words after each debate, went through several drafts to finally get the words above. Maybe they actually knew what they meant!

James Madison himself, a little more than 10 years after the Constitution's ratification, began to declare national days of prayer at the urging of Congress. As such he became created 4 of the 164 instances of national prayer days in our history. Here are the examples:

James Madison Proclamation on July 9, 1812. A “day of public humiliation and prayer” set apart on “the third Thursday in August,” 1812. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.


James Madison Proclamation on July 23, 1813. A “day of public humiliation and prayer” set apart on “second Thursday in September,” 1813. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.


James Madison Proclamation on November 16, 1814. A “day of public humiliation and fasting and of prayer” set apart on January 12, 1815. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.


James Madison Proclamation on March 4, 1815. A “day of thanksgiving and of devout acknowledgments to Almighty God for His great goodness manifested in restoring to them the blessing of peace” set apart on the “second Thursday in April next[.]”8 Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.

The quotes above and the citations for them can be found in the ACLJ's amicus brief linked from this page:

ACLJ: Court Decision Declaring National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional 'Flawed' - Case Could End Up At Supreme Court

Call for National Prayer Unconstitutional? Hardly!

The previous post on this blog was about a federal judge who declared a National Day of Prayer to be a violation of the Constitution's so-called "separation of church and state." Really. In that decision, she found meaning that apparently eluded the men who actually wrote and ratified the Constitution.

From the time of our Declaration of Independence (once the U.S. began its own government), there have been 164 calls for national prayer. Many of these were from Presidents, others from Congress. All three branches of government have recognized the religious nature of the country since our founding.

Here are examples of a national call for prayer, all between the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the end of the 1700's.

Continental Congress Proclamation on November 1, 1777. The Continental Congress recommended to the “legislative and executive powers” to set apart December 18, 1777 for “solemn thanksgiving and praise.” Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

Continental Congress Proclamation on October 26, 1781. The Continental Congress recommended to the “several states” to set apart December 13, 1781 as a “day of THANKSGIVING and PRAYER.” Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

Continental Congress Proclamation on October 11, 1782. The Continental Congress recommended to “the inhabitants of these States in general” and requested “the several states” to set apart December 28, 1782 as a “day of SOLEMN THANKSGIVING to GOD.” Reflecting on the closing year motivated
the call to prayer.

George Washington Proclamation on October 3, 1789. A “day of public thanksgiving and prayer” set apart on November 26, 1789. Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

George Washington Proclamation on January 1, 1795. A “day of public thanksgiving and prayer” set apart on February 19, 1796. Reflecting on the closing year motivated the call to prayer.

John Adams Proclamation on March 23, 1798. A “day of solemn humiliation, fasting, [and] prayer” set apart on May 9, 1798. Reflecting on the state of war motivated the call to prayer.

As found in the amicus brief filed by the American Center for Law and Justice.

Judge Declares National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional

Here we go again. A federal judge in Madison, WI, has declared our annual national day of prayer to be unconstitutional. The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation said the day violates the "separation of church and state."

While he would not have put it in those words, Thomas Jefferson might have agreed. He did not declare a national day of prayer while he was President (he declared days of prayer for Virginia when he was governor of that state). However, keep in mind that he did not sign the Constitution, nor was he there for the debates. He DID correspond with those who were there, but then he used the phrase "freedom of religion" to talk about the importance of a Bill of Rights.

What about members of the Congress who wrote and signed the Constitution? They petitioned our first President, George Washington, to declare a national day of fasting and prayer, which they did. Why did the courts back then not find this unconstitutional? Perhaps because it was not. The First Amendment was written by the same men who also wanted a day of prayer. Were those men confused? Befuddled? Stupid? Or is it barely possible that they understood the intent of the First Amendment better than the current-day federal judge mentioned above?

Let's not forget that the actual words of the Constitution talk about Congress not being allowed to establish a law respecting an establishment of religion. A national day of prayer is hardly a law requiring any person to do anything - there are no "teeth," no punishments. And if it doesn't require anything of us, can it be said to be establishing a national religion? And the phrase "separation of church and state" is too loose a metaphor to actually serve as a complete guide to the First Amendment's meaning.

Read the press statement here:

Federal Judge Rules Day of Prayer Unconstitutional

Then read the ACLJ's amicus brief linked from this page:

ACLJ: Court Decision Declaring National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional 'Flawed' - Case Could End Up At Supreme Court

City Council Member Refuses Pledge and Prayer

In Huntsville there is a controversy about a council member who does not participate visibly in the prayer or Pledge of Allegiance before meetings. He stands respectively with his hands behind his back. He says it is due to his high regard to the "separation of church and state" in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

First, he is inaccurate to say the First Amendment contains "separation of church and state" - or even that it requires that in the way many (him included) interpret it. That phrase is a metaphor used by Jefferson in a letter. But Jefferson's own correspondence to the Founders who actually wrote the First Amendment (Jefferson was in Paris at the time) used the phrase "freedom of religion" to say why the First Amendment was a good idea. So to believe that you can't take part in these preludes because of the First Amendment is incorrect.

However, if he just worries that he might be doing something that is uncomfortable for some in the audience or in conflict with their beliefs, he certainly has the right to abstain. If the voters don't like that, I'm sure he will face an election again someday and that might affect the outcome. And I'm sure he knows that. I would have ignored the story if he had used fuzzier phrases like, "I want to make sure no one feels excluded" or similar, rather than invoking the First Amendment, that would have seemed to be entirely his choice.

Read the story here:

Huntsville Council Member to Explain Refusal of Pledge, Prayer Participation

Jefferson: People Must Be Free to Profess Their Religion

The metaphor Thomas Jefferson once used in a letter, "separation of church and state," is often used by people today to block other individual (or group) actions or public statements regarding their religious beliefs. One such blockage that turns up in the news fairly often is the concept of public statements regarding faith.

This goes against our history, certainly, because the founders often quoted religious concepts, even during their discussions of various official issues. But I believe it also goes against what Jefferson himself had in mind. As I have pointed out before in this blog, Jefferson used the separation metaphor in one letter, but used the term "freedom of religion" more often, including in correspondence with those who were actually writing the Constitution and Bill of Rights (when Jefferson was in France).

Consider Jefferson's quote below. Does it sound like he would endorse blocking a school choir from singing Ave Maria in a concert, or stop students from wishing each other "Merry Christmas"?

"We have solved, by fair experiment, the great and interesting question whether freedom of religion is compatible with order in government and obedience to the laws. And we have experienced the quiet as well as the comfort which results from leaving every one to profess freely and openly those principles of religion which are the inductions of his own reason and the serious convictions of his own inquiries." --Thomas Jefferson: Reply to Virginia Baptists, 1808. ME 16:320

Notice that he says we must be free to profess our religious principles. So how do we dare use some of Jefferson's other words to stop a student from invoking the name of Jesus during a commencement address? Or how do we dare to stop a child from passing out Christmas card to friends at school based on quoting Jefferson?

As found in the Jefferson collection of the University of Virginia:
http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1650.htm

Federal Court Upholds "God"

Most of us have heard of skirmishes where a party or organization will sue to have the word "God" removed from some part of the public sphere. The use of "In God We Trust" on our money has been challenged. The words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance have been challenged.

In the recent decision both uses have been affirmed. That the decision came from San Francisco's Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals makes the decision even more remarkable. That court has been among the most-overturned appeals court in the nation and almost always land on the liberal side of decisions. The court said, "The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded."

Read the story here:

Court Upholds "Under God" and "In God We Trust"

Thomas Jefferson Advises: Adore God

President Thomas Jefferson is usually painted as a deist in today's writings and culture. Certainly he was not "Christian" by my definition, although he was perhaps as much a Christian as many today who attend Christian church regularly. He was a man of God, and he revered Christ's teachings. He apparently believed in an afterlife.

Here is some advice he gave in a letter to a young man named after him. He wrote this about a year before he died.

"Adore God. Reverence and cherish your parents. Love your neighbor as yourself, and your country more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Murmur not at the ways of Providence. So shall the life into which you have entered, be the portal to one of eternal and ineffable bliss."

See the whole letter here:
http://www.americanpresidents.org/letters/03.asp

Charles Thomson, Signer of Declaration of Independence, Bible Translator

You can read in many places on the web about our Founders' overall lack of any religious depth. But that ignores actual history. Consider Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1781. Thomson was also one of only two men who signed the actual hand-written draft of the Declaration (along with John Hancock).

This same Charles Thomson also worked for 19 years in order to publish the first English translation of the Greek text of the Old Testament of the Bible.

Read more about Thomson here:
http://virtualology.com/declarationofindependence/CharlesThomson.com/

Learn more about the religious background of other Founders here:
http://churchvstate.blogspot.com/2009/05/founders-had-very-religious-background.html

Religion's Role in the Revolutionary War: the Rev. Jonas Clark

Today, as we hear debates on various issues, our religious leaders sometimes speak out. Those who feel our founders intended for ministers and priests to stay out of such matters raise the phrase "separation of church and state." Perhaps, though, in objecting that way, they are not aware of the role religion played in important events in the past, such as the abolition of slavery, or even the formation of our country.

Consider the role of Reverend Jonas Clark, minister in Lexington around the time of the Revolutionary War. Here is a small quote from the speech, "The Rev. Jonas Clark," given by Theodore Gilman to The New York Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, at the Hotel Manhattan, New York, October 19th, 1911:

"It is an alluring task to recount the names of these patriots. But we must refrain, for we wish to restrict ourselves to honor here this evening, one who is pre-eminent among these leaders and thinkers, the Rev. Jonas Clark pastor of the church at Lexington, Massachusetts, for fifty years. His place was not on the battlefield, but he nerved the arms of the fighters, he informed the minds of legislators and he unfolded the principles of equity and righteousness on which the contest for independence was based. Jonas Clark, the revolutionary pastor and thinker, was a man whose mental powers should place him in line with Locke, Rousseau and Jefferson, and whose influence on the destinies of the republic was felt by John Hancock Samuel Adams, and the Legislature and people of Massachusetts as well as by the men of Lexington who were the heroes of the 19th of April, 1775."

Read the whole speech here:

http://www.archive.org/stream/revjonasclark00gilmrich/revjonasclark00gilmrich_djvu.txt

Christian School Kids Not Welcome at White House Easter Egg Roll

The White House Easter Egg Roll has been a tradition in the USA since 1878. Easter would be considered a Christian holiday by most, although there are certainly plenty of non-religious Easter items for sale in stores (think "chocolate bunnies"). The Obama administration is giving out 3,000 free tickets to school kids for this event this year. However, they specifically prohibit kids in private or parochial (i.e. religious) schools from receiving the tickets. It's almost ironic.

Read more here:

All Kids Invited to White House Easter Egg Roll, Provided They Attend Public School

2010 Congress Declares Catholicism to Be the Official Religion of USA

After months of secret, closed-door meetings in Congress, a bill has been signed that would formally make our official religion that of the Speaker of the House Pelosi: Catholicism. This of course means that everyone's tax dollars would go to support the Catholic Church and all interaction between government and religion would be done with a Catholic Priest presiding.

Oh, haven't you heard about that in the news? That's because it's my little "April Fool" joke, but there is a point to it. The First Amendment's Establishment Clause was specifically written to prohibit that type of action by the Congress. If we carry that restriction down to the state level because of the 14th Amendment (arguable), then no state legislature could do this. That is why our First Amendment starts with these words:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

That's the entire Establishment Clause. I don't read that as an attempt to stop schools from having Christmas concerts, or to stop local city councils from opening meetings with prayer, or to stop school children from doing essays that have a Christian theme, or to keep the Ten Commandments out of the public square, or to do many of the other things that are done today in the name of the First Amendment. It is to keep worship free and a matter of private decision. It is to keep the government from forming something akin to the Church of England.