2007-05-03 04:45:42 · 20 answers · asked by WWTSD? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
What about when he also argued against it in 1808?
http://www.religioustolerance.org/day_pray2.htm
2007-05-03 04:47:17 · update #1
He was a Deist. He didn't believe in prayer, and he rightfully thought it had no place being endorsed by the government.
2007-05-03 04:49:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 10⤊ 1⤋
Is anyone aware of the first amendment to the US Constitution of which a piece of is the separation between church and state. The Pure Notion of a National Day of Prayer Violates this Amendment. It doesn't mean you are not religious. What is does mean is that we are a country that is accepting of all religions. Remember that a large portion of the people that settled in what became the United States where escaping religious persecution. How can you have a national day of prayer? That would then say, if you are Atheist by chance (whether you agree with it or not) that the government to and extent does not agree with your religious view. Also, if you are truly religious, isn't every day a day of prayer.
First Amendment to the US Constitution
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
A good view on the Amendment that I found:
In my opinion, the single most important part of the Constitution. Some of the first colonists of the nation for which the Constitution was written had been seeking to escape religious persecution. The constitutions of several of the states prohibited public support of religion. And above all, the many varying sects of Christianity in America required that to be fair to all, there could be preference to none. It would have been disgraceful for anyone to wish to leave the United States because of religious persecution. So they decided it best to keep the government out of religion. Now, this is not to say that the United States was not or is not a religious one. Religion plays a big role in the everyday life of Americans, then and now. But what they were striving for is tolerance... something I fear contemporary Americans are lacking.
2007-05-03 12:03:25 · answer #2 · answered by Hoosier 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1808: Thomas Jefferson also opposed declarations of national days of prayer by the Federal government. He wrote "Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where the Constitution has deposited it."
Thanks for the very valuable information. We can use this frequently when we see that this is a Christian nation.
2007-05-03 11:52:02 · answer #3 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I suppose that since this is a largely Christian nation, and this was a REAL National Day of Prayer, I should have gotten the day off! I could have used a couple of extra hours of sleep this morning! I've been to Catholic churches and from what I could gather, many people get extra sleep during Catholic mass...
2007-05-03 21:47:13 · answer #4 · answered by carmandnee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jefferson was a deist, that meant that he believed that there is a God, but that after creation God is just observing us and not getting involved. He probably thought that praying for God to get involved was a waste of time.
Apparently Jefferson did not notice that God in the Bible talked to people, and did many things that were contrary to nature, like opening the Red Sea and feeding the multitude with mana, or all the miracles that Jesus did.
2007-05-03 12:03:02 · answer #5 · answered by tim 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jefferson voted to "recommend" a day of prayer and fasting verses "requiring" a day of prayer and fasting. You have to remember he believed in freedom and liberty which included the freedom of religion on the part of each individual. In reality that is exactly the way God set it up in the first place. We were created with free will to choose or not choose God. If not for God creating us with free will then we would all just be pawns or robots. God wants us to freely choose God just as God has already freely chosen us.
2007-05-03 12:00:12 · answer #6 · answered by Moose 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Georgeoustxwoman beat me to the best Jefferson quote to explain his feelings about the federal government organizing religious events. He wasn't against days of prayer and fasting or days of thanksgiving, only against the government usurping the power of individual religious societies. Even with all his faults, he's still one of the wisest of the founders.
2007-05-03 11:57:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
He was thinking that government is not supposed to be connected to religion...... Seperation of church and state...... One of the ideas this country was founded upon. If your church wants to have a national day of prayer they are free too.
2007-05-03 11:51:38 · answer #8 · answered by eap 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps he recognized the evils wrought by a relationship between church and state and sought to keep them separate for the benefit of all. Smart man.
2007-05-03 13:59:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our government shouldn't have an institutionalized day of religion. Jefferson was a smart dude.
2007-05-03 11:50:04 · answer #10 · answered by N 6 · 9⤊ 0⤋
One hot momma:
George Washington: "The United States is in no sense founded upon Christian Doctrine"
That's why he's on the one dollar bill.
2007-05-03 11:52:22 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋