Reason Is Better than Prayer (for Government)
by Roy Speckhardt
05/02/2013 1:29 pm
Every year on the first Thursday of May a peculiar thing happens: the president and government officials across the nation ask us to pray. Not only do they ask us to pray, they inform us of the value of prayer and how, according to President Obama’s 2012 National Day of Prayer Proclamation, prayer has “always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength.” Of course, it’s not exactly “countless” since we can count millions of Americans that don’t believe in the efficacy of prayer.
This is a particular problem for nonreligious Americans who are civically minded. Just like our religious family and friends, we want to participate in community gatherings and political events and be an accepted contributor to the diverse American tapestry. So we understandably take issue with efforts to say that the American way is the way that excludes us, especially when those efforts are driven by officials we helped elect.
To read the rest of this Huffington Post article from AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, click here.
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Roy Speckhardt is the executive director of the American Humanist Association.
The American Humanist Association
The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of Humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of Humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
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