2006
ADF affirms National Day of Prayer, Offers Free Legal Help To Those Denied Observance
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Cities have legal right to recognize, participate in May 4 event
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Cities wishing to honor America’s Christian history on the National Day of Prayer have been advised by the Alliance Defense Fund that they have the legal right to officially observe the day. ADF attorneys are available for comment to the media and will consider representing any municipality threatened for recognizing the May 4 event, which gained federal recognition more than 50 years ago.
“Four generations of U.S. Presidents have recognized the importance of a National Day of Prayer,” said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb. “Millions of Americans will join in prayer on May 4, and not one of them should be concerned about any misguided legal backlash.”
ADF has mailed an informational letter to nearly 1,200 of America’s largest cities, advising officials of their legal right to recognize and participate in the National Day of Prayer and offering free legal representation in the event of a lawsuit (www.telladf.org/UserDocs/NDPLetter.pdf). A separate letter was sent to National Day of Prayer state regional directors informing them that ADF attorneys are prepared to assist them in any legal challenges as well.
A national day of prayer was unofficially established more than 200 years ago by President George Washington, who in 1789 issued a proclamation setting aside Feb. 19 as a time of public thanksgiving and prayer. President Abraham Lincoln followed suit with his own resolution in 1863. President Harry S. Truman established a national day of prayer via a joint resolution with Congress in 1952. Thirty-six years later, President Ronald Reagan amended and signed a law permanently designating the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer.
ADF President Alan Sears recently addressed the subject of the ACLU and their attacks on prayer in an opinion column that may be read at www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22919.
“Official acknowledgement of the National Day of Prayer by the government is both honorable and legal,” McCaleb explained. “Such observances allow officials to do something positive for the nation and their constituents.”
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
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