National Day of Prayer deemed unconstitutional

A federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote that the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic.

"In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray," Crabb wrote.

Congress established the day in 1952 and in 1988 set the first Thursday in May as the day for presidents to issue proclamations asking Americans to pray. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison-based group of atheists and agnostics, filed a lawsuit against the federal government in 2008 arguing the day violated the separation of church and state.

Opponents of big government should celebrate. Here is a federal judge making the argument that prayer is "so personal" and has a "powerful effect on a community" that the government may not use its authority to influence an individual's decision. Why can't this same argument be used on pretty much everything else that the government is trying to do?

Why is the government not allowed to set a day of prayer, but it can make me buy health insurance, or a certain type of car, or a certain kind of lightbulb? Why is the government making decisions about paying for abortion with my tax dollars, or the legality of gay marriage? Aren't all these personal decisions?

For the small government types who are offended by this ruling: We can't pick and choose which things the government can or can not do. We can't let the government into our lives in some ways and not others. It's all or nothing.

And for those who want a national day of prayer, set one up at the grassroots level, the way we're doing Tea Parties. Stop looking for Big Government to set these things for us. A lawmaker shouldn't be given the power to make us buy insurance or set a time for us to pray.

It's counter-intuitive, I know. But I think this ruling should be celebrated. As a bonus, that is not the reaction that the leftists and atheists opposed to the National Day of Prayer are expecting. That alone makes it almost worth it to me.