While prayer has been banned at the Ground Zero event in New York on September 11th, “A Call to Compassion” will take place at the National Cathedral in the nation's capital. Billed as a diversity prayer event, it will feature leaders of a variety of world religions, and conclude with the “Concert of Hope” speech by President Obama, but all evangelicals have been excluded from the event.
For background, read Clergy & Prayer Banned From 9/11 Memorial Ceremony and also read 9/11 Cross Proposed as National Monument
UPDATE 9/11/11: Media Missed Largest Memorial in L.A. (it included Christian prayer)
-- From "Evangelicals Left Off National Cathedral 9/11 Program" by Todd Starnes, FoxNews.com 9/6/11
It will feature the dean of the Cathedral, the Bishop of Washington, a rabbi, Buddhist nun and incarnate lama, a Hindu priest, the president of the Islamic Society of North America and a Muslim musician.
However, Southern Baptists, representing the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, were not invited to participate – and neither were leaders from any evangelical Christian organization.
Richard Weinberg, the Cathedral’s director of communications, confirmed that Southern Baptists were not extended an invitation to participate.
Weinberg said the president’s event will be a “secular service,” but said given the setting it will include an interfaith benediction.
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From "Evangelicals excluded from Washington National Cathedral’s 9/11 commemoration" by Caroline May, The Daily Caller 9/7/11
“The idea that you would exclude a representative of at least 35 percent of the population that identifies with Evangelical Christianity is difficult to comprehend, much less to defend,” Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention told TheDC. “Perhaps what is even more difficult to comprehend is the Cathedral describing President Obama’s event as a ‘secular service.’ If it’s a secular service, why is it being held in a cathedral?”
“Many Evangelicals and other people of faith are rightly offended at this attempt to marginalize religious faith in this way as we commemorate the memory of this very painful event in American history,” Land added.
Concerned Women for America president and CEO Penny Nance voiced her outrage as well.
“There are an estimated 70 to 80 million Evangelical Christians in this nation,” Nance told TheDC. “We are important members of almost all communities. Some of us died on 9/11. It is outrageous that we were excluded.”
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From "White House announces Obama to speak at interfaith prayer service on 9/11 anniversary" by The Associated Press 8/30/11
The White House had previously announced Obama would also visit all three sites where planes struck that day — New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa.
Press Secretary Jay Carney announced plans for the prayer service speech . . .
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From "Obama to speak at National Cathedral on September 11" by Peter Maer, CBS News 8/30/11
Speaking to reporters as the president traveled to Minneapolis, Press Secretary Jay Carney said, "the approach we're taking to commemorating that tragedy and the remarkable resilience of the American people is one we think is appropriate."
Mr. Obama used his most recent weekly address to set the tone for the upcoming observance. He noted 9/11 "will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance."
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Also read Obama Honors 9/11 Muslim Heroes at White House
