Offering for Dennis Seman’s Mission Trip to China
During April, we collected our Easter offering to help Dennis Seman be part of a two-week mission trip to China with China Partner beginning in mid-May. The offering total came to $1,986.00. Thank you for your generous giving.
Is the National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional
As you have probably heard in the news recently, a federal judge here in Wisconsin has determined that the National Day of Prayer – which is next Thursday, May 6 – is unconstitutional. The decision came in a legal case filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation which is based in Madison. The case is not over as the decision will be appealed and may very well reach the Supreme Court.
Wayne Shockley of Westwood wrote the following in reflecting on the decision:
The recent court decision declaring the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional left me with conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, I can kind of understand the reasoning behind the decision. Not that I agree with it, but I can see the judge's point. What the Constitution requires is that the government be neutral in all matters pertaining to religion. Certainly it can't provide money or facilities to any religion. That's the part that prohibits the "establishment" of a religion. At the same time, it can't limit the practice or exercise of any religion. The court said that encouraging prayer is providing support for particular religious practices; hence it steps over the line to establishing of religion.
On the other hand, that's a stretch. That's beyond nitpicking. There is no coercion of any kind in a Day of Prayer. There's no money or substantial support of any kind given to any religious organization. Even atheists are free to meditate - if they wish. One might suggest that they meditate on their freedom to complain about religion, but that would be uncharitable.
Yet there are two good things that can come from this decision. One is that it reminds us what kind of attitudes we face in our society today. The nitpicking nature of this decision betrays hostility to religion, not neutrality. Obviously, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is hostile to religion, and large segments of our society are joining in that hostility to some degree. Christians can no longer expect any kind of support from our culture in general. We are on our own, and we may as well get used to it.
The second good thing from this decision is that it will prompt Christians to remember that we don't need support from our culture. Throughout history and around the world, the Body of Christ has flourished quite well in cultures much more hostile than this one. In fact the survival and even success of the Church in the midst of hostility has prompted many people to investigate Christianity and then to follow Christ. We see that happening in China today. In short, we don't need the government at all, not even a one-day-a-year proclamation.
It is tragic that our society will deteriorate as it becomes more hostile to Christianity. Many people will be hurt, both in this life and eternally. But if we are going to make this a more Christian nation, it will have to be by the work of the Church among the people by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by proclamations of Presidents by the power of the government.
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