Americans or American Government Is Turning to Prayers?

National Prayer Day which U.S. Congress designated in 1954, has generated a lot of debate regarding the issue that religious practices should be/not be patronized by the state. The opponents view is that a secular state has nothing to do with prayers. But are Americans or the United States is really secular? This has remained the topic of a light debate for years. The U.S. currency notes also their faith in God through the statement written on it “In God we trust”. 

The American public seems to highly support the idea of National Prayer Day. A Gallup USA survey shows that opposition to National Prayer Day is very low. Just 5 percent of total Americans and 9 percent of those for whom ‘religion is not important’ oppose this prayer. About six in ten in the overall American public and three fourth of those for whom ‘religion is important’ support the idea.

Over eight in ten Americans say there is God who answers prayers, while about one in ten say there is a God who does not answer prayers. On the other hand just 5 percent believe that no God exists.

These figures show that Americans are no less religious than Muslims living in Asia. None of the Muslim state has made any law about any particular prayer day and has left these things for the Muslim publics to do according to their own wishes. Do such efforts on the part of U.S. state does not show the religiosity of the State of U.S? The U.S. and Americans are passing through difficult times ever since 9/11 and more recently since the economic recession. Will it be right to say that in these difficult times Americans and their State both are now turning towards God?