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Presidential Proclamation - National Day of Prayer
PDF from White House Media Affairs Office ^ | 07/07/2009 | Barack Obama

Posted on 05/07/2009 11:52:37 AM PDT by Theo

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release May 7, 2009

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2009

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer. In 1775, as the Continental Congress began the task of forging a new Nation, colonists were asked to observe a day of quiet humiliation and prayer. Almost a century later, as the flames of the Civil War burned from north to south, President Lincoln and the Congress once again asked the American people to pray as the fate of their Nation hung in the balance.

It is in that spirit of unity and reflection that we once again designate the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer. Let us remember those who came before us, and let us each give thanks for the courage and compassion shown by so many in this country and around the world.

On this day of unity and prayer, let us also honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. We celebrate their commitment to uphold our highest ideals, and we recognize that it is because of them that we continue to live in a Nation where people of all faiths can worship or not worship according to the dictates of their conscience.

Let us also use this day to come together in a moment of peace and goodwill. Our world grows smaller by the day, and our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife; and to lift up those who have fallen on hard times. As we observe this day of prayer, we remember the one law that binds all great religions together: the Golden Rule, and its call to love one another; to understand one another; and to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a "National Day of Prayer."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 7, 2009, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon Americans to pray in thanksgiving for our freedoms and blessings and to ask for God's continued guidance, grace, and protection for this land that we love.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

# # #


TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bhonldayofprayer; bhoproclamations; natldayofprayer
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To: pillut48

Thanks—I did notice that after I posted.


21 posted on 05/07/2009 12:17:35 PM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia (Stop the wanton destruction of innocent squirrels!)
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To: Theo

Pissant Of The United States, Barack Obama


22 posted on 05/07/2009 12:25:10 PM PDT by albie
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To: NMEwithin

That would be much funnier if whoever did it spelled “Heaven” correctly.


23 posted on 05/07/2009 12:25:50 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Constitution Day

Fixed... :)


24 posted on 05/07/2009 12:31:40 PM PDT by NMEwithin
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To: NMEwithin

Thank you! :)


25 posted on 05/07/2009 12:33:15 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Theo

For all his negative points, one thing I do like about President Obama is his frequent admiring references to the people and events of our nation’s early history. I especially like it because I know that black children and teens and college students and school teachers are actually listening to him, and that for many of them, this is literally the first time they’ve heard of any of these things. Bush could have said all the same things, and almost everybody who needed to hear it would either not have been listening at all, or would have reflexively dismissed it as “there goes evil Bush again, trying to sugarcoat the evil acts perpetrated by white imperialist oppressors”.

Traditional history has been pretty much banished from the schools, especially in largely black school districts and colleges, and replaced with a never-ending barrage of exaggerated tales of how “people of color have been oppressed”. To have them hearing about things like the Continental Congress and President Lincoln and Congress praying about the Civil War, from someone they respect (albeit not for good reasons), and in a context which presents these things as admirable and as history that ALL Americans should be proud of, has got to be having a positive effect. Seriously, most of the black public school teachers today, if they’d ever heard of the Continental Congress at all, heard that it was an evil white people’s plot to steal the Native American’s land and get rich by enslaving black people to work on it.


26 posted on 05/07/2009 12:40:40 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: pillut48

I think it’s healthy to play devil’s advocate. We’re stuck with the guy as our President for at least 4 years, and we should respect and encourage the good things he does, even if they are few and small. I really don’t like seeing FReepers displaying Obama Derangement Syndrome, in an alarmingly similar way to how leftists displayed Bush Derangement Syndrome for the past 8 years — it’s stooping to their level.


27 posted on 05/07/2009 12:48:47 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: Theo

Coming from this bum this sounds as true as the “ring” of a wooden bell.


28 posted on 05/07/2009 12:50:30 PM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: jmaroneps37

I auapwxt that this was issued as a last minute CYA.


29 posted on 05/07/2009 1:25:41 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (Minnesota - You all can go to hell. I'm going to Texas.)
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To: Fred Hayek

I suspect that this was issued as a last minute CYA.


30 posted on 05/07/2009 1:26:43 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (Minnesota - You all can go to hell. I'm going to Texas.)
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To: rightwingintelligentsia
FWIW, I don't think that the declaration means much to him personally despite his repeated claims (not ACTIONS) of being a Christian--the president doesn't actually dictate the phrasing on the declaration, does he? I'm guessing some underling wrote this up without any input from him, and he just signed it for show.

What's that Bible verse?

(From the book of Luke, Jesus is speaking:)

8"Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

9But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."
31 posted on 05/07/2009 2:30:34 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --"God help us all, and God help America!!" --my new mantra for the next 4 years)
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