National Day of Reason

04.26.08

National Day of Reason 2008

Posted in Friendly Atheist at 4:00 pm by Hemant Mehta

This Thursday (May 1 st ) is the National Day of Reason! Consider it a day to give blood, sign up to become an organ donor, or donate money to your favorite secular non-profit!

Not coincidentally, the NDR falls on the same day as the National Day of Prayer, headed up by Shirley Dobson.

If you’d like to help lead groups to donate blood for the NDR, go for it. No one is stopping you.

If you’d like to lead a team for the NDP Task Force, however, you may want to check the ground rules.

Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or people who do not literally accept every part of the Bible aren’t allowed to be leaders. Because, as we all know, their prayers are complete horse$#&%. God only listens to fundamentalist Christians.

Vounteer coordinators must take a statement of faith:

I believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of The Living God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only One by which I can obtain salvation and have an ongoing relationship with God. I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, the atoning work of his shed blood, his resurrection and ascension, his intercession and his coming return to power and glory. I believe that those who follow Jesus are family and there should be unity among all who claim his name.

And if you don’t agree with that statement word for word, they don’t want you.

If you get kicked out, there is another celebration you can be a part of: Inclusive Prayer Day:

The National Day of Prayer falls on May 1st this year, and in most parts of the country, there is a religious “litmus test” limiting participation to fundamentalist Christian evangelicals. Focus on the Family, the largest organization on the Christian Right, and groups allied with it control the occasion, calling themselves the National Day of Prayer Task Force and asserting that their website is the “National Day of Prayer Official Website.”
The National Day of Prayer has been hijacked! What began in 1952 as President Truman’s declaration of a National Prayer Day for all Americans is now excluding and dividing us on religious lines. The “Task Force” excludes Jews, Muslims, Catholics and even mainline Christians from participation in the events it coordinates around the country…
http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/04/26/national-day-of-reason-2008/

Gopher

Hey Nate,

I too am observing the Day of Reason. Who can argue with the need for reason? It's something everyone should be able to agree on, at least theoretically.

The Day of Prayer is being celebrated nationally by Christians, and also at many state capitols like the one here in Minnesota.

The Day of Prayer is an annual assault on the American Constitution. The government has no business endorsing any particular brand of reliigion, because in doing so it discriminates against believers in other deities and against non-believers. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RELIGION-NEUTRAL. That gives everyone freedom to worship (or not) as they see fit, and isn't freedom what America's all about?

Here in Minnesota, the state legislators observed the Christian "Day of Prayer" on the marble steps leading up to the Capitol. However, to do so -- they had to pass the rotunda where a national "Day of Reason" celebration was underway. (I hope it gave them pause for thought.)

I heard on the radio that if other religions want their day of prayer on the capitol steps, they'll have to arrange it for another day.

www.nationaldayofreason.org

changeling

How "unreasonable" of you to inform us of this 5 days after the fact!

changeling :)

BFD

I reasoned that it is today from the first sentence in the article. LOL

BFD

PS- It's also Ascension Day.

Hortensia

that's religion for you - especially fundamental christian religion. Control freaks and exclusionists. However, they can't stop you from praying, can they? And if there is a god, which I doubt, I am sure they don't control the gate.