Is the National Day of Prayer Constitutional?

In the Newsweek article The Religious Case for Church-State Separation published on April 23, 2010 by Jon Meacham, the question of separation of church and state is discussed.

On April 15, 2010, a Wisconsin federal judge ruled that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. His ruling sparked different opinions on the ongoing issue of the separation of church and state. Sarah Palin and Franklin Graham both oppose the ruling as well as Obama. One of Governor Palin's arguments is that the Founding Fathers were believers. But the author sites the fact that the Founding Fathers believed in a country that separated church and state. This idea even extends back to biblical times. In the New Testament, Jesus "withdrew and hid" after the crowds wanted to make him king.

The significance of the Wisconsin judge's ruling is the question of constitutionality. The Establishment Clause from the Constitution, prohibits the establishment of a national religion or a preference of one religion over another. The National Day of Prayer is a generic day for all people of any faith to pray, but it still crosses the line of separation of church and state. This day gives a preference to people who believe in a faith over people who do not. There can still be a Day of Prayer but not associated with the United States as a whole.

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Posted by: Alex Kelly and Sarah Lapotin