Thoughts on National Day of Prayer

This passing May 6^th may very well be the last time the United States will have a National Day of Prayer, well at least that’s what I hope.  Now some of you may be upset that I hope this, but I need to explain a few things before you get too angry.

I’m completely for there being a Day of Prayer.  It can even continue being May 6^th.  I have no problems with people praying if they want to and organizing a specific day focused on that, it’s your time and you can do as you wish.  My only problem is the government encouraging or endorsing religious activity. 

I personally believe the government should be neutral when it comes to religion, just completely have no involvement in such things.  People should be able to decide how they want to be religious, spiritual, or neither, and then they should be able to explore that as they wish just so long as it doesn’t infringe on other people’s rights. 

Now there are those who say that the United States is a Christian nation.  Maybe it was at some point, or even maybe it is now.  But, times do change and the government should change with it.  There are also a lot of literature that suggests that this country has always been built around the idea of being secular.  Whether it has always been or not, the main thing is it should be a secular government now. 

 There are so many Americans that have problems with there being Islamic nations, so why do the same here but with Christianity?  Shouldn’t we have the freedom to live as we wish without pressure from the government to be religious in certain ways. 

So as an atheist, let me ask this question.  How would you feel if the government endorsed not working at all on Saturday due to it being the Sabbath?  Or how about if the government endorsed not eating “unclean” foods?  These wouldn’t be required, but endorsed.  Would that bother you that the government is even involved in such religious acts?