By Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service with BJC Staff Reports
An interfaith coalition has again asked the U.S. House of Representatives to reject a prayer plaque at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The proposed plaque, which is under the consideration of a House subcommittee, would feature a prayer spoken by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the radio on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
“O Lord, give us Faith,” it reads in part. “Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade.” It concludes with, “Thy will be done, Almighty God.”
The coalition — a mix of religious and secular organizations that includes the Center for Inquiry, a humanist organization; three Jewish groups; the Hindu American Foundation; and the United Methodist Church — said the prayer does not reflect the religious diversity of the United States.
“Our religious diversity is one of our nation’s great strengths,” they stated in a letter to the subcommittee. “[This bill] endorses the false notion that all veterans will be honored by a war memorial that includes a prayer that proponents characterize as reflecting our country’s ‘Judeo-Christian heritage and values.’”
H.R. 2175 is sponsored by two Ohio Republicans, Rep. Bill Johnson and Sen. Rob Portman. Portman is a member of the United Methodist Church, one of the organizations that opposes the plaque.
The attempt to place a prayer plaque at the memorial, which opened to the public in 2004, dates back to 2011. It has been approved by the House before but was rejected in the Senate.
UPDATE: The Senate passed a version of this bill on June 6. It is awaiting a vote in the House.
From the June 2014 Report from the Capital. Click here to read the next article.
