The National Prayer Breakfast is All But Gone

The National Prayer Breakfast has for years been run from a secretive organization that looked dark. Last year there was a huge crowd that included some Russians. No one knew who they were or why they were there. The 2023 version will be much smaller and the publicity claims it will not be the shadowy event of the past. 

An atheist group claims with considerable pride the event has been cancelled. As a practical matter this is correct. The President will not attend and, apparently, only some members of the House and Senate. Without the President the event will not be newsworthy, and it is not entirely inaccurate to say the National Prayer Breakfast that has been held for decades is gone. 

The National Prayer Breakfast is one of those carefully choreographed events made to appear as though Christianity is the default approved national religion of this country. Having large events at the National Cathedral is another. W. Bush appeared there after 9/11. Better for our country would be cancelling all these staged events trying to imply a national religion exists when our founding fathers were determined not to put one in place. Ever since the Constitution did not include a national religion there have been groups trying to shoehorn a national religion into our government. That their efforts continue can be seen in laws against abortion and gay rights. 

I didn't follow the National Prayer Breakfast until the last decade or so. More than once I read that during the "prayers" the politician or preacher praying put digs in at the current Democratic President. I guess putting political material into a prayer makes it not political.

Putting political material into a prayer reminds me of national conferences I attended as a Mayor. Since they were considered rather important events the press covered what mayors of big cities said in their remarks and what Senators and Representatives said that were invited to speak. There was always an invocation at the opening meeting and a locale pastor or two would be invited to provide a prayer. More than once the preachers were young liberal men from the local city. Like the National Prayer Breakfast they would insert their own political message into the prayer, "And God, may these Mayors find a way to provide better housing for the poor, may they find equal opportunity for women and minorities...." Really, the meeting could have started with no appearance by any clergy.

Goodbye National Prayer Breakfast. May your grave be a deep one.