Dems tout Day of Reason as alternative to National Day of Prayer

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.) is pushing a resolution to designate May 4 as the National Day of Reason as a response to the National Day of Prayer.

Lieu thanked Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Humanists for Climate Action on Twitter for supporting his resolution to recognize “the importance of reason in the betterment of humanity.”

Rep.Lieu on 2day’s #NationalDayOfReason: https://t.co/Bpn1GibXue. TY @EleanorNorton @RepRaskin @RepZoeLofgren @americnhumanist 4 supporting!

— Rep. Ted Lieu (@RepTedLieu) May 4, 2017

{mosads}The resolution encourages people to use the day to focus on “the employment of reason, critical thought, the scientific method and free inquiry to the resolution of human problems and for the welfare of humankind.”

“There is no doubt that emotions and passions play an important role in American politics,” Lieu said in a statement linked to the tweet.

“They drive elected officials to pursue issues they care about and energize our citizens to participate in our great democracy. But as Jon Oliver said, ‘graphs aren’t Rorschach tests.’”

With people disputing facts about climate change and the administration taking aim at scientific funding, Lieu said it’s now more important than ever to celebrate reason and logic.

The American Humanist Association and Washington Area Secular Humanists, which launched NationalDayofReason.org, claim the National Day of Prayer violates the First Amendment of the Constitution by asking federal and local government officials to set aside tax dollar-supported time and space to engage in religious ceremonies.

The National Day of Reason, the site says, is a day to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship.