Sunday, April 27, 2014

Public Prayer: Vast Majority of Americans Want it

A just-released poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University finds that 73% of Americans, including 60% of Democrats, favor prayer at public civic meetings; but what kind of prayer does the public want? It appears, that just as the political correctness police have taught Americans to believe in an unknown god, this poll finds that Americans want the prayers directed toward some thing other than God the Creator (the author of American freedom).

Public opinion is often difficult to understand, such as the poll showing that Most Americans are Disgusted with American Morals, Yet Favor Sin


For background, read 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco Ruled Prayer OK Lancaster, Calif. and also read California Judge OKs Prayer at Eureka City Council

The fact is, Prayer at Civic Meetings Flourish Across America, and for proof, read about Christians standing for Jesus Christ despite the secular onslaught.

UPDATE 5/13/14: U.S. Supreme Court rules prayers to Jesus Christ OK at government meetings

UPDATE 9/27/14: Gallup Poll Finds Most Americans Support Prayer in School

From "U.S. voters say it's OK to pray at public meetings, NJ poll finds" by Jeff Goldman, The Star-Ledger (New Jersey) 4/23/14

About 73 percent of the 883 people asked in a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll conducted in December say it's OK "as long as the public officials are not favoring some beliefs over others."

"This has always been a praying nation, despite its very secular Constitution," Peter J. Woolley, professor of comparative politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University said in a release. "People generally see generic prayer as harmless, if not uplifting, not as something that is oppressive."

"An overwhelming number of Americans are upset by two things — not being allowed to pray, and someone insisting that only their prayer is legitimate," Woolley said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "National FDU poll: OK to pray at public meetings" by William Westhoven, The Daily Record (Parsippany, NJ) 4/23/14

Seventy-three percent of the 883 registered voters responding to the poll agreed with the statement, “Prayer at public meetings is fine as long as the public officials are not favoring some beliefs over others.” Less than a quarter of the respondents — 23 percent — agreed with the statement, “Public meetings shouldn’t have any prayers at all because prayers by definition suggest one belief over another.”

Rev. Neill Tolboom of Morristown United Methodist Church said, “I believe it is appropriate, especially if you are only talking about prayer, and not expounding on one faith over another. All you are doing is evoking help from a creator, or God, and acknowledging that there may be something greater than us, a spiritual realm. Maybe the prayer is for someone who is sick, or you are just praying for guidance. What could be wrong with that?”

Republicans favored public-meeting prayer by a margin of 88 percent to 10 percent, while Democrats favored it 60 percent to 36 percent. The survey showed no significant statistical difference between men and women, whites and non-whites, or age groups.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Most voters favor prayer, minus Jesus, at public meetings" by Cathy Lynn Grossman, Religion News Service, Washington Post 4/21/14

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on the constitutionality of prayer at public meetings [in Greece, New York].

“(Greece officials) were trying their best not to offend anyone by making prayers as generic as possible. In this survey we asked if this is an acceptable way to approach the problem. Three in four people said yes,” said Peter Woolley, professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey.

The key, however, is that this case centers on generic prayer that is “harmless, if not uplifting,” said Woolley. “Americans have become more used to the idea that one denomination is not necessarily privileged over another. Even unbelievers — atheists who would say prayer ‘is not for me’ — approved” of allowing nonspecific prayer.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "New survey: generic public prayer is okay, Jesus Christ is the problem" by Laura Jones, The Global Dispatch 4/24/14

While support for prayer was similar for every age group and both men and women, the most religiously observant were the most inclined to approve of it. Among those who attend religious services (excluding funerals or weddings) at least once or twice a month, 86 percent would allow prayer, 11 percent would not.

For those who attend services a few times a year, 73 percent support it but opposition doubles to 26 percent.Even those who seldom or never go to church backed the prayers at public meetings, with 58 percent approving and 36 percent opposing.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Jesus' Name Unconstitutional in Public: Supreme Court

Now Illegal to Quote George Washington, Media Say

CBS News Gives Voice to Atheists, Heretics, & Apostates

Church is About Friendships, NOT God: Study

Methodists Team Up with Atheists for Bible Study

United Church of Christ Eliminates 'Heavenly Father'

President Obama's National Cathedral is the Seat of Apostasy

President Obama Prays to an Unknown God

America Going to Hell; Christians Lose Convictions