Political Insider: Jewish Web Site Hits 'National Day of Prayer'
Posted By James Besser
Political Insider: Jewish Web Site Hits 'National Day of Prayer'
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Sometimes, evangelicals who say they support Jews walk some pretty precarious lines.
This week the Web site JewsOnFirst, which is devoted to protecting the wall of church-state separation, is calling on readers to protest National Day of Prayer events on May 1 - a nationwide celebration that politicians say is intended just to get Americans to focus more on their religious heritage and the need for prayer.
The group that sponsors the events, the National Day of Prayer Task Force, says it invites "people of all faiths to pray for the nation," and that the day "represents a Judeo-Christian expression of the nation's observance."
Sounds sort of ecumenical, doesn't it, at least if you're not Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or some other non-Judeo-Christian faith?
But the "Judeo" part isn't exactly accurate, either, say the JewsOnFirst people.
For one thing, the Task Force explicitly excludes ALL non-evangelical clergy from leadership of the events.
An application that event coordinators must sign states explicitly: "I commit that the (National Day of Prayer) activities I serve with will be conducted solely by Christians, while those with differing beliefs are welcome to attend."
While describing the event as "conforming to a Judeo-Christian system of values," the application requires applicants to sign a long statement of orthodox Christian belief.
Despite its connection with the conservative "Focus on the Family" ministry, politicians in both parties tend to treat the Day of Prayer as a quasi-official event, something planners try to exploit, according to JewsOnFirst.
"The Task Force call itself 'official' on its Website and it instructs its coordinators to make their events appear to be official government functions," Jews on First says.
Read the entire JewsOnFirst report here.