Reliably maddening pundit Dennis Prager outdoes himself today in a National Review column picked up by NPR. Remember last week's story of Good Friday and Davenport, Iowa? The town's Civil Rights Commission, trying to advocate on behalf of the many non-Christians in the area, suggested the city change the name of its official government holiday on Good Friday. That way, the thinking went, government employees would not have the impression they were expected to be Christian, celebrate distinctly Christian holidays, and so on, while still accommodating the many Christians who would want to observe the day among family, friends and fellow worshippers
As I said at the time, not the most pressing church-state concern – if it is one at all – but I appreciate the sentiment, borne of a desire to be respectful of the community's religious and cultural diversity. They did, ultimately, not take the advice of the Commission, by the way, reaffirming that Davenport, Iowa does in fact celebrate Good Friday.
So what did Prager get out of this story? That it was a sign of a "war on Christianity," the "Second Civil War", in fact, which would "eliminate Good Friday" just as it seeks to "abolish Christmas." And those whose empathy leads us to honor diversity and protect those of minority faiths? "Narcissists"! All we care about, I guess is the way that we care about other people. How selfish!
Leave it to Dennis, I guess, to take another opportunity for civil discussion about the nuances of religious accommodation within church-state separation and turn it into a shouting match and, egads, a "civil war".
Just for the record, even if Davenport or any city decided not to call the official government holiday by its significantly Christian name, Good Friday would not be "eliminated". Christians across the country would still flock to our churches, pray in our homes and bow our heads wherever we are – as we are thankfully free to do – on the Friday before Easter to honor Christ's profound sacrifice. And you never know, without the government's suggestion, such a pure expression of religious freedom might mean even more.
