Why Is There So Much Of A Fight About Prayer? 1-25-09
At the inauguration of President Obama, there were two prayers given: the invocation and the benediction. Baptist pastor Rick Warren gave the invocation, ending the prayer with Jesus’ name and reciting the “Lord’s Prayer”. The benediction was given by a civil rights leader who ended the prayer with “Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen”.* Several sources were cited in an article that claimed the benediction was far more appropriate because it was more inclusive: evidently, prayer is okay, as long as it is a general plea to other humans (or to nature) for everyone to be nice; prayers to Jesus are offensive, apparently.
This should not surprise us; after all, we have seen this attack on our Christian values and beliefs for decades now. The biggest blow started back with Madalyn Murray O’Hair and her 1963 lawsuit in which she was able to convince the Supreme Court to outlaw “coercive” prayer in school. From that has grown a concerted effort to attack every public (and even some private) religious expression – most specifically Christian expression. Federal court judges have even gone on the judicial warpath to remove state elected officials who transgress the highest law of “separation of church and state” – the most famous example was the removal of Alabama State Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.
While some of these attacks on all things Christian have been leveled at monuments and expressions on currency, most have been against prayer in public or prayer by government employees (and military members). Looking at the two sides, it is interesting to note that the vehemence and activism is almost totally one-sided: few (if any) Christians actually lobby for government-led prayers; they just ask to be allowed to do what the U.S. Constitution says that they can do. But the anti-prayer side is irrational with zeal to ban prayer in any form, in any place where someone might know it is occurring; sometimes this zeal manifests itself in humorous ways, such as the California man who sued a school because his daughter was being forced to be in a school where student-led prayers occurred, only for it to be revealed that his daughter was one of the prayer leaders.
Do not worry about this. The worst that can be done to you is that your family will be killed and you will be tortured and imprisoned, and possibly killed. Yes, this goes on every day in nations around the world. Notice, though, that the Christians are tormented and persecuted in places run by atheists, Buddhists, and Muslims, but the places run by Christians are even willing to curb Christian practices in order to not offend these groups.
Now, you are not likely to be imprisoned or killed in America just for prayer; it is just remarkable that prayer is seen as so offensive to atheists that it is intolerable for it to occur, but Christian children are forced to listen to bad theories masquerading as “fact” and “science” that say existence is a natural accident and that there is no God. Back in 1963 Madalyn Murray O’Hair argued that her son was being discriminated against because he did not want to pray; today, Christian children are penalized on tests if they do not answer correctly about evolution.
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:14 NIV)
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42 NIV)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12 NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2 NIV)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NIV)
Prayer is fundamental to our existence, and is a vital part of our connection to God through Jesus. Rick Warren was right to conclude the invocation in the name of Jesus Christ. Inclusive language destroys the meaning of prayer and invites judgment from God whose honor is demeaned and marginalized by it. There is only one name on whom we should call – Jesus. And the other side knows this, otherwise they wouldn’t fight so much to get rid of prayer; maybe Christians should care more to keep it.
-Charles Peterson
* “Public prayers at Obama’s inauguration raise important issues” Helen T. Gray, The Kansas City Star, January 23, 2009, http://www.kansascity.com