Atheists Crash City Hall's National Day of Prayer Observance

In Thursday, about 100 people gathered to mark the 61st annual National Day of Prayer along with the mayor and a handful of atheists who, for the first time, silently protested the program led by leaders of the city’s born-again Christian faiths.

In 1951, Congress designated a National Day of Prayer be held on the first Thursday in May, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation.”

In a proclamation near the beginning of the service, Mayor Dan Drew declared May 2, 2012, a National Day of Prayer, following the statement of President Obama, which read in part, “Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world.”

In the city hall foyer, looking into the crowd, Drew said, “I see people of the Jewish faith, I see people of the Catholic faith, I see people of Protestant faiths, I see people of different cultures, different backgrounds, and I see people who don’t believe.”

Citing the First Amendment, Drew said, “To me, what that means is part of the glory of this country is that we can respect all of those views in the public square. In my view, what the First Amendment says is not to exclude anybody from the public square, it’s incorporating everyone … and respecting all those beliefs as long as we are not singling out one and endorsing it officially.”

Speakers included pastors Moses Harvill of , who offered a prayer for the school system, the superintendent, teachers and students; Derek Wight of the , who appealed for all levels of government; Paul Hylton of , whose litany was for the church, Christians and family values.

Pastor Geoff Scott of read an invocation for the media. Bob West, station manager of , led a group recitation of Psalm 150 and later The Lord’s Prayer.

Eight secular activists, some from the Connecticut Valley Atheists, stood silently holding signs that read, “City Hall is Not a Church,” “Keep America Secular,” and “Nothing Fails Like Prayer.”

Afterward, Dave Silverman, President of American Atheists, who filmed the ceremony on his cell phone, said, “This was a grossly unconditional act clearly endorsing Christianity on the part of the city of Middletown.”

Artist Paul Goleb of New Britain, who characterizes aetheists as “bookworm” types who conduct silent, peaceful protests, agreed. “This service has a very right-wing bent, a born-again slant. It’s not inclusive to any religion.”

Pastor Richard Clegg of has been participating in Middletown’s National Day of Prayer for four years. He says the religious groups represented Thursday are all born-again Christians.

Up until four years ago, Clegg said, services were held outside of city hall on the green by the flagpole.

“The protesters were protesting the separation of church and state,” Clegg said, “but for those there today, city hall can never be turned into a church. A church is never a building,” for born-again Christians, “it’s the people. The protesters have it totally wrong. They don’t know the scripture.”

American Atheists, a national atheist civil rights and first amendment public policy organization dedicated to the total separation of church and state, were represented by Dennis Paul Himes, state director.

"Encouraging bad habits is a dubious activity for a town government in any circumstance, but when those bad habits are of a religious nature, it's not merely a bad idea, it's an unconstitutional one,” he said.

This is the first time the secular activists have targeted a public National Day of Prayer held in a city building, said Himes.

Blair Scott is the group's communications director.

“Citizens have the right to pray, and so do government officials, but that is not what is happening in Middletown. A government official is using his office to directly endorse, facilitate and promote religion.”

Silverman was firm.

“We must stand up against the government when it attempts to prop up religion in violation of the federal constitution and state constitutions.”

“The mayor danced around the issue which he acknowledged exists. Every single speaker talked about Jesus,” Silverman said.

As way of explanation, Clegg offered, “The people inside are actually the church. And indirectly, those who work in city hall are the church every day of the week.”

The National Day of Prayer has been challenged in the U.S. Court of Appeals. On April 14,  the Seventh Circuit in Chicago ruled 3-0 that The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its plaintiffs do not have standing to continue their historic challenge of the 1952 congressional act.

Immediately afterward, FFRF said it would seek a rehearing.

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