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, however, shows a lack of respect for this great diversity. It 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.”’
House bill 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.
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