{"id":114,"date":"2009-01-15T16:49:49","date_gmt":"2009-01-15T16:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lynnvsekulow\/2009\/01\/inaugural-prayer-opponents-are.html"},"modified":"2009-01-15T16:49:49","modified_gmt":"2009-01-15T16:49:49","slug":"inaugural-prayer-opponents-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lynnvsekulow\/2009\/01\/inaugural-prayer-opponents-are.html","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural Prayer Opponents Are Right In Principle"},"content":{"rendered":"

I realize, Jay, you are eager to draw me into this case
\nbecause your side is likely to win. My position has been consistent: Michael
\nNewdow and all of the other plaintiffs in this suit<\/a> are right on principle, but
\nthat doesn’t mean the court will agree with them.<\/p>\n

Public events like presidential inaugurations,
\ngubernatorial swearings-in and even city council meetings should be open to
\nall. Everyone should feel welcome at these gatherings. When we include sectarian
\nprayer at such events, we send the message that some believers are more
\nwelcome, even that they are better citizens. (Don’t bother arguing that
\nexclusion of prayers is hostility toward religion, Jay. Anyone is free to pray
\non their own at any time during these events. It’s the government sponsorship I
\nobject to, not the praying.)<\/p>\n

Having said that, I accept that legal challenges like this
\nare not likely to succeed in the current judicial climate. Dr. Newdow brought a similar case<\/a> in 2004 that was not successful. I failed to see the point in
\nbringing another (which is why AU did not join the case), but I do believe his
\nfiling<\/a> brought a lot of important historical information to light.<\/p>\n

Prayers at inaugurals are an on again, off again
\nphenomenon.  <\/span>The Constitution’s version
\nof the Presidential oath does not end “so help me God.” I had hoped that Barack
\nObama would have dropped both of these practices, but he did not.  <\/span>(It only adds a problem that Rick Warren is
\nthe first voice we’ll hear at the inaugural. I certainly don’t anticipate that
\nhe will give some homophobic prayer, but we know him already by his acts
\nagainst same-sex marriage.)<\/p>\n

In this case, you claim to be standing up for religious
\nfreedom. What you are actually standing up for is a brief prayer recited in a
\npro forma manner as part of day-long celebration to mark the instillation of a
\nsecular ruler of an officially secular nation. You are standing up for the
\ncoupling of religion and state in a highly symbolic and ritualized manner. Is
\nthis a real prayer with a real religious message or just a by-rote exercise
\nthat is included because everyone expects it to be?<\/p>\n

In the Book of Matthew<\/a>, Jesus warned against such
\nostentatious public prayers. It’s better to pray alone in your closet, he said.
\nJay, you have argued for the right to pray in public on behalf of the
\ngovernment because it is “traditional.” Notwithstanding the evidence, that is
\nnot even the issue. If a “tradition” (of whatever genesis or duration) is
\nnon-inclusive and demonstrates an official preference for one religion over
\nothers or religion in general over secularism it is wrong.  <\/span>Plain wrong.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I realize, Jay, you are eager to draw me into this case because your side is likely to win. My position has been consistent: Michael Newdow and all of the other plaintiffs in this suit are right on principle, but that doesn’t mean the court will agree with them. Public events like presidential inaugurations, gubernatorial…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":164,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,10],"tags":[50,47,49,48],"class_list":["post-114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-election-08","category-separation-of-church-and-state","category-white-house","tag-government-prayer","tag-inaugural-prayer","tag-inauguration","tag-michael-newdown"],"yoast_head":"\nInaugural Prayer Opponents Are Right In Principle - Lynn v. Sekulow<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lynnvsekulow\/2009\/01\/inaugural-prayer-opponents-are.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inaugural Prayer Opponents Are Right In Principle - Lynn v. Sekulow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I realize, Jay, you are eager to draw me into this case because your side is likely to win. My position has been consistent: Michael Newdow and all of the other plaintiffs in this suit are right on principle, but that doesn’t mean the court will agree with them. Public events like presidential inaugurations, gubernatorial…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lynnvsekulow\/2009\/01\/inaugural-prayer-opponents-are.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lynn v. Sekulow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-01-15T16:49:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rev. Barry W. Lynn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Inaugural Prayer Opponents Are Right In Principle - Lynn v. 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An accomplished speaker and lecturer, Lynn has appeared frequently on television and radio broadcasts to offer analysis of First Amendment issues. News programs on which Lynn has appeared include PBS's \"NewsHour,\" NBC's \"Today Show,\" Fox News Channel's \"O'Reilly Factor,\" ABC's \"Nightline,\" CNN's \"Crossfire,\" CBS's \"60 Minutes,\" MSNBC's \"Countdown with Keith Olbermann,\" Fox News Channel's \"Hannity & Colmes,\" ABC's \"Good Morning America,\" CNN's \"Larry King Live\" and the national nightly news on NBC, ABC and CBS. On the radio, Lynn serves as host of \"Culture Shocks,\" a daily look at various issues affecting society and the culture. In the 1990s he served for two years as regular co-host of \"Pat Buchanan and Company\" and after that did a weekly syndicated radio program, \"Review of the News,\" with Col. Oliver North. 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Lynn writes frequently on religious liberty issues, and has had essays published in outlets such as USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Nation. Lynn also has op-eds published frequently by the McClatchy and Scripps-Howard newspaper chains. A member of the Washington, D.C. and U.S. Supreme Court bar, Lynn earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1978. In addition, he received his theology degree from Boston University School of Theology in 1973. 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