Do we need a "Day of Prayer" to pray?

Just to be clear, I believe the action taken last week by Wisconsin District judge Barbara Crabb, branding the National Day of Prayer as "unconstitutional", is another cave-in to the atheist, secularizing groups and ideas that are gaining ground in America's courts. And, despite the failure of California atheist Michael Newdow to have "In God We Trust" removed from our currency, the battle to cleanse the political and public sphere of religion is far from over (and the Christian religion in particular, since no atheist seems overly concerned about the growth of Islamic influences in schools.)

I'm no constitutional lawyer, but it seems to me that the First Amendment's prohibition of "establishment of religion" should be understood in 18th century context. By "establishment", I think they sought to avoid the official recognition of a particular sect of the Christian faith as the "established" church, as the Lutheran church was in much of continental Europe and the Anglican church was in England. That kind of official status for a certain sect was not only a legal endorsement of beliefs, it was grounds for governmental discrimination and persecution of "non-established" religions.

Such an establishment is clearly not what's up in setting aside the 1st Thursday of May as a National Day of Prayer (for those who want to observe it, with no requirement to do so by any others.) No one is excluded by the proclamation, but only by their choice to abstain. No one will be prosecuted for "failure to pray". Nor will anyone be barred from public office or other governmental activities for being absent at the prayer rally.

So, two observations: First, while this decision is a sign of the growing influence of a negative attitude toward public religion, it's not yet to the point that public prayers will draw the wrath of some national prayer police, like might take place in any number of countries today. We don't need a "National Day of Prayer" to pray, if we just all agree to meet as individuals and churches and communities.

Second, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the group responsible for bringing this action to judge Crabb, should consider that the "freedom to embrace religion" is also a constitutional guarantee, including the freedom of a religious majority in our government to recognize a day for prayers among that majority in the nation as a whole. If Congress comes in time to have an atheist, agnostic or secular majority, then I'll stand up for their right to have a "National Day of No Prayer", or whatever they want to call it.

But again, to be clear, I believe all such freedoms and rights are for this world only. According to the Bible and the words of our Savior Jesus Christ, that will all come to end when "every knee will bow, and every tongue proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord." (Philippians 2:10-11) And there won't be any earthly judge to overturn that decision.