National Day of Prayer

==Legal challenge==

The [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] (FFRF) sued to challenge the designation of a National Day of Prayer. On October 3, 2008, the [[Wisconsin]]-based organization filed suit in the [[U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin|federal district court for western Wisconsin]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]], naming as defendants President [[George W. Bush]]; White House press secretary [[Dana Perino]]; Wisconsin governor [[Jim Doyle]]; and evangelist [[James Dobson]]'s wife, Shirley Dobson, in her capacity as chair of the [[National Day of Prayer Task Force]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-10-06-prayer-day_N.htm |title=Atheist group sues Bush over national prayer day |work=USA Today |date=October 6, 2008 |access-date=May 3, 2012}}</ref> The [[Alliance Defense Fund]] (ADF) provided defense for Shirley Dobson while government lawyers asked U.S. District Judge [[Barbara Crabb]] to dismiss the case, arguing principally that the group has no [[Standing (law)|legal standing]] to sue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ffrf.org/news/2009/NDPcaseproceeds.php|title=FFRF National Day of Prayer Case Proceeds – Freedom From Religion Foundation|access-date=August 12, 2017}}</ref>

On March 1, 2010, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb stated that FFRF's lawsuit could proceed because the plaintiffs had shown that they suffered "concrete injury" that can potentially be remedied by judicial action. Judge Crabb stated about those supporting the federal law designating the National Day of Prayer, "adopting [the] defendants' view of standing would allow the government to have unrestrained authority to demean members of any religious group without legal consequence. The federal government could declare the 'National Day of Anti-Semitism' or even declare Christianity the official religion of the United States, but no one would have standing to sue because no one would have to 'pass by' those declarations."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ffrf.org/uploads/legal/dayofprayer_standing.PDF |title=Decision of FFRF v. President Obama and Shirley Dobson |access-date=May 3, 2012}}</ref> On April 15, 2010, Judge Crabb ruled that the statute establishing the National Day of Prayer was [[Constitutionality|unconstitutional]] as it is "an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function."<ref name="Opinion_and_Order">{{cite news |url=http://www.wiwd.uscourts.gov/assets/pdf/FFRF_v_Obama_Order.pdf |title=Opinion and Order |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602073444/http://www.wiwd.uscourts.gov/assets/pdf/FFRF_v_Obama_Order.pdf |archive-date=June 2, 2010  }}</ref><ref name="CNNunconstitutional">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/15/wisconsin.court.prayer/ |title=Federal judge strikes down National Day of Prayer statute |last=Gilgoff |first=Dan |date=April 16, 2010 |publisher=CNN |access-date=April 16, 2010}}</ref> However, Crabb [[Stay of proceedings|stayed]] her ruling pending the completion of appeals.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0415/Federal-judge-National-Day-of-Prayer-is-unconstitutional/ |title=Federal judge: National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional |last=Richey |first=Warren |date=April 15, 2010 |publisher=Christian Science Monitor |access-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref>

The [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] filed a notice to appeal the ruling on April 22, 2010,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/22/u-s-appeals-ruling-striking-down-national-day-of-prayer/?fbid=9vJShASeaFv |title=CNN.com: U.S. appeals ruling striking down National Day of Prayer |publisher=Politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com |access-date=May 3, 2012 |date=April 22, 2010}}</ref> and on April 14, 2011, a three judge panel of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit|Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals]] unanimously overturned Crabb's decision. The panel ruled that FFRF did not have standing to sue because the National Day of Prayer had not caused them harm and stated that "a feeling of alienation cannot suffice as injury." The court further stated that "the President is free to make appeals to the public based on many kinds of grounds, including political and religious, and that such requests do not obligate citizens to comply and do not encroach on citizens' rights."  The federal appeals court also cited Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, which referenced God seven times and prayer three times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/14/ap/national/main20054020.shtml|title=Court dismisses suit over National Day of Prayer – CBS News|website=[[CBS News]]|date=April 16, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416071913/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/14/ap/national/main20054020.shtml|archive-date=April 16, 2011}}</ref>