From the AP – The largest group of atheists and agnostics in the United States is suing President George W. Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over a federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation sued Friday in U.S. district court, arguing that the president’s mandated proclamations calling on Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials endorsing religion.
The day of prayer, held each year on the first Thursday of May, creates a “hostile environment for nonbelievers, who are made to feel as if they are political outsiders,” the lawsuit said. (Read full article HERE)
Bill Reichart is a husband, daddy of two daughters and a pastor at Big Creek Church (pca) in North Atlanta. Bill received his Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. Before pastoring a church, he worked with college students in the northeast for over 16 years. He really enjoys movies, science fiction/fantasy writing (yes he’s been to a Star-Trek convention!), the Simpsons and theology books - not necessarily in that order. He has always been fascinated with the intersection of culture and his faith. 
The proclamation terms it a “National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001″ and does not get specific about God or any particular house of worship. Text of the proclamation can be found at this link: http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200109/20010914_dayofprayer.html
It’s not just a day of only prayer, and it mentions no specific set of religious beliefs.
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Hm, I suppose it is kinda distasteful to intertwine faith and patriotism like that. Now, I’m no fan of patriotism, but I know many Americans are and I’m sure a healthy number of those are not members of a religion—so to proclaim a thing that makes one seem unpatriotic if one refuses participation does seem a trifle unfair.
It probably would have been better to declare a national day of meditation. That way we’re also not encouraging people to pray to a false god, which is what the National Day of Prayer currently does.
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Whenever government and religion get intertwined, religion is always the one that comes out worse. The people who will pray will pray whether there’s an official day or not. The people who wouldn’t won’t no matter what the government says and will resent the government for the suggestion. Legislation makes for horrible evangelism. It’s more government pandering than any real show of faith.
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I am not one to favor govermental involvement in religion but let’s be honest here and say that these types of complaints rarely have anything to do with “discomfort” or feeling “unpatriotic” and more with a hatred of religion…not that I can blame them.