Freedom From Religion Foundation Says No to Prayer Event

By 

Jay Sekulow

|
June 21, 2011

 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) based in Madison, Wisconsinknown for their famous slogan "Nothing Fails Like Prayer"has sent a letter to Georgia's Governor, Sonny Perdue.  Governor Perdue participated in a prayer service because of the continuous drought in Georgia.  I have printed portions of the FFRF's letter because it exposes the organizations true intents.  They are not only extreme in their church-state separation idea, but they also hold faith in contempt.  The following are excerpts from their letter:

 

On behalf of our Georgia membership, our national state/church separation watchdog group is writing to remonstrate against your use of the Office of the Governor to organize, plan and pay for a prayer service.

 

Think about the illogic of appealing to a "higher power" for rain!  If there were an omnipotent deity who could end Georgia's drought by sheer magical power, why has this deity permitted the drought in the first place?  If this deity is omniscient, as believers also claim, then this sadistic god certainly doesn't need you to assemble various clergy and preachers to imprecate to the skies over the lack of rain.

 

It is simply human ego and superstition to imagine that assembled wishful thinking can affect the natural laws of the universe.  Any effect a prayer service might have on the weather would be one of pure chance.  We have a saying around our office: Nothing fails like prayer.  As Mark Twain sagely noted:  You'd better check the weather forecast before you pray for rain.

 

If you would like to read the full letter, click here.  


I have instructed our lawyers at the American Center for Law and Justice to prepare a legal memorandum to Governor Perdue supporting the constitutionality of this prayer activity.  Prayer should not be treated as pornography or obscenity.  The Supreme Court of the United States has long recognized that prayer is a form of speech protected by the First Amendment.  Despite the protest of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the fact is that this prayer event is constitutional.  At this time of great need for divine intervention, government officials calling on God's providence and sustenance does not represent a constitutional crisis.

 

We have also set up a proclamation of support for Governor Perdue that I encourage you to sign by clicking here.  For a copy of the legal memorandum that we have prepared for Governor Perdue, click here.