National Prayer Breakfast

==Reaction==
Rev. [[Jim Wallis]], founder and president of the Christian social change group [[Sojourners]] and a regular attendee of the National Prayer Breakfast, said of the event "it's sort of a time to — where people want to acknowledge the importance of prayer and faith.  And that can be kind of a civil religion, civic faith kind of common denominator thing. Or it can be much too sectarian where some people feel left out of it. I remember my favorite ones are when Bono spoke at the prayer breakfast and talked about every faith tradition calls us to stand with those who are left out, left behind. I remember Senator [[Mark Hatfield]] spoke years ago when I was in seminary and he called the war in Vietnam a national sin and shame in front of [[Richard Nixon]] and [[Henry Kissinger]].  I saw their faces and they weren't happy with that. So when it can raise up issues that we ought to be accountable to, whether we are religious or not, I think that's when it's probably at its best."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/02/04/133497426/President-Obama-Gets-Personal-At-National-Prayer-Breakfast |title = President Gets Personal at National Prayer Breakfast |website=NPR |date=February 4, 2011}}</ref>

In 2010, [[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]] asked President [[Barack Obama]] and Congressional leaders to refrain from attending the National Prayer Breakfast. Executive Director [[Melanie Sloan]] criticized the organizing group, [[The Fellowship (Christian organization)|The Fellowship]], for being what she described as intolerant and secretive.<ref name="nytimes_20100204">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/us/politics/04prayer.html |title= National prayer breakfast draws controversy | access-date= 2012-02-22 | last = Goodstein | first = Laurie |date=2010-02-04 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref> Over the years, other watchdog groups, like the [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]], also criticize the opacity, and maintain the NPB, launched to oppose FDR's [[New Deal]] policies, is a Christian nationalist movement, pretends to be bipartisan, and uses unwitting Democrats for cover and legitimacy.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jenkins |first1=Jack |last2=Banks |first2=Adelle |title=National Prayer Breakfast breaks with Christian group that ran it for years |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/01/26/national-prayer-breakfast-break-family/ |website=Washington Post |access-date=31 January 2023 |date=26 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="Salon" /> In 2023, various groups - religious and secular, Black, LGBTQ - lobbied President [[Joe Biden]] to break tradition and cut ties with the event.<ref name="Salon">{{Cite web |last=Larsen |first=Jonathan |date=2023-01-17 |title=Black, LGBTQ+, and religious groups ask Biden to drop the National Prayer Breakfast |url=https://www.salon.com/2023/01/17/black-lgbtq-and-religious-groups-ask-biden-to-drop-the-national-prayer-breakfast/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Salon |language=en |ref=Salon Larsen Jan. '23}}</ref>

On Thursday, February 6, 2020, President [[Donald Trump|Donald J. Trump]] addressed the gathering, including these statements encouraging freedom of religion and appreciation for those attending, citing their bravery, brilliance, and fortitude: "But I’ll tell you what we are doing: We’re restoring hope and spreading faith.  We’re helping citizens of every background take part in the great rebuilding of our nation.  We’re declaring that America will always shine as a land of liberty and light unto all nations of the world.  We want every nation to look up to us like they are right now."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-68th-annual-national-prayer-breakfast/ |title=Remarks by President Trump at the 68th Annual National Prayer Breakfast |website=The White House Archives}}</ref>

Also in 2020, the event marked the highest level state visit by a [[Republic of China (Taiwan)]] official since 1979 when Vice-president [[Lai Ching-te]] attended the National Prayer Breakfast.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3d08a0d8-4623-11ea-aee2-9ddbdc86190d |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/emvuC |archive-date=2022-12-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Taiwan politician's visit to Washington risks enraging China |first=Kathrin |last=Hille |date=February 3, 2020 |newspaper=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref>

The National Prayer Breakfast is featured in the [[Netflix]] miniseries ''[[The Family (miniseries)|The Family]]'', from the book ''[[The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power]]''.