PRAYING IN JESUS' NAME

On the banning of prayer "in Jesus' name" by a federal judge.

The decision of Judge David Hamilton outlawing prayer in Jesus' name at opening sessions in the Indiana Statehouse is troubling for constitutional, societal, and theological reasons. In the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Judge Hamilton's decision intrudes upon the separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches of government. In outlawing certain religious speech (i.e., praying in Jesus' name), the judge has clearly stepped beyond his constitutional limitations. From out of "thin air" Judge Hamilton has usurped the powers of the legislature and decreed his ideological opinion into law.

As most Christians are aware, the culture has become, and is becoming, increasingly secular (Religion is irrelevant to governmental and societal affairs.) and pluralistic (All religions share equal legitimacy.). With their totalitarian ideology, the intellectual elite seem bent upon eradicating what was once-upon-a-time a Jewish-Christian religious influence upon the culture. The venue they have chosen and harnessed to promote their censorship of Judeo-Christian values in our culture is the judiciary. Ironically, I find that the "liberal left" has in the name of tolerance become most intolerant, especially of Christianity. By judicial fiat they are forcing their world view upon worshippers of all religious persuasions and denominations. The American constitution was devised not to guarantee freedom from religion, but rather to ensure freedom of religion for all people, no matter what religion, or irreligion, they might embrace and profess. But even more ominous is the fact that liberal Christians are marching in lock-step with their political-secular counterparts. By embracing everything, liberal Christians show themselves to believe nothing.

One local minister said, "When I pray in church, I pray in the name of Jesus. When I pray in public, we ought to be inclusive." I don't know how you interpret his words, but I take them to mean that when Christians pray in public, they should not to pray "in Jesus' name."[1] In the same vein another clergyman once opined, "I am always fearful when we in the Christian community move beyond the rightful claim that Jesus is decisive for us, to the presupposition that non-Christians . . . are outside God's plan of salvation. That smacks of a kind of non-Jesus-like arrogance."[2] As is evident, "Only-Way-Jesus" does not fit into the new religious order envisioned by liberals. As New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote, "It is urgent that the different religions 'reinterpret' their traditions to embrace modernity and pluralism and to create space for secularism and alternative faiths."[3] All this begs the question regarding a Christian theology of prayer.

Jesus condemned any duplicity which views prayer to be a performance. He called those who pray to perform, "hypocrites" (Matthew 6:5). Jesus drew no distinction between praying inside or outside the church. In fact, knowing Jesus possessed a holistic view of the faith life, and because Jesus repeatedly instructed His followers to pray to the Father in His name, I am convinced that He would reject any tampering with the "in-His-name" formula regardless of the audience (John 14:13-14; See 15:16; 16:23-24.). Christian prayers are always to be spoken "in the name of Jesus." That is one of "the givens" of the Christian faith. If we refuse to pray in Jesus' name, then we have no assurance that the Father will hear our prayers or grant our requests.

As a professor from Wabash College diagnosed the issue, "Prayer, for traditionally minded Christians, simply must be addressed to God by way of the name of Jesus. More than that, Jesus Christ is God in human form, so any attempt to separate the idea of God from the name Jesus Christ is nothing more than heresy."[4] Amen!

Pastor Larry DeBruyn

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[1] Ruth Holladay, "Tolerance A Casualty of Battles Over Religion," The Indianapolis Star, December 1, 2005, B1.

[2] Cited by Joseph Stowell, The Trouble with Jesus (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003) 15-16.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Stephen Webb, "Decision Shows Judge Isn't Well-informed About Prayer," The Indianapolis Star, December 5, 2005, A9.