A major decision was reached this week by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb in Madison. In a case brought by the group Freedom From Religion, the judge ruled that the National Day Of Prayer, established 58 years ago, is unconstitutional. Crabb stated, "In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience."
Now the Obama administration has decided to appeal the ruling, after several members of Congress condemned the ruling. The administration has stated that the National Day Of Prayer simply "acknowledges the role of religion in the United States."
Laurie Gaylor, the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, criticized the administration and Obama in particular. "I would have expected something better from a legal scholar," she said.
The ruling will only go into effect after all appeals have been exhausted.
These kinds of rulings, which strive to keep religion out of government, are vital to begin to break the influence of religion over all aspects of our lives, such as the current struggle for LGBT civil rights. If we begin to enact these sorts of legislative measures, it will have a positive influence on the nation, restricting the mythology that is religion from influencing our political process. It’s unfortunate that the Obama administration bows down to weak minded Congressional representatives who clearly don’t understand the concept and the critical reasons for the separation of church and state.
LGBT activists should see this as an opportunity to speak out in favor of the judge’s ruling. Keeping religion out of government may end up being the only way we ever see our civil rights obtained.
