Federal Lawsuit Challenges National Day of Prayer

The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed suit on Friday in a Wisconsin federal district court challenging the federal law that creates a national Day of Prayer. (Press release.) The complaint (full text) seeks a declaratory judgment that Public Law 100-307 and Presidential and Gubernatorial Proclamations calling on citizens to pray violate the Establishment Clause. Named defendants are President Bush, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and National Day of Prayer Task Force Chairman Shirley Dobson. The private NDP Task Force is described in the complaint as "a willful participant with state and federal officials in joint action that violates the Establishment Clause." (See prior related posting.)