National Prayer Breakfast

The House and Senate often have pro forma sessions. C-SPAN provides the video.  The Senate basically just gavels, the whole thing easily taking less than a minute.

The House tends to take around five minutes, having some announcement or something. It also has a prayer by the official chaplain (she starts with "will you pray with me," which seems an open-ended request, though perhaps it is just for the House members and personnel present) and the Pledge of Allegiance.  Which now has "under God."

I have noted in the past that I find the latter particularly a minor, but still troubling, illegitimate religious establishment.  This is especially the case when minors are involved, such as in public schools.  "Under God" should not be a part of the official pledge.

I'm wary of official prayers in legislative proceedings, by official chaplains, too.  The use of a single chaplain to me is additionally problematic.  See, e.g., Stevens' dissent in Marsh v. Chambers.  But, it is a somewhat more limited in-house matter involving legislative bodies.

The National Prayer Breakfast is another way national figures nod to religious beliefs.  It is not an official governmental event, but closely related to government all the same.  There has been some controversy over the years especially given the nature of some of the people running the show.   I see that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) is a co-chair this year. 

Sen. Coons (D-DE) is an organizer of this year's prayer breakfast and generally promotes bipartisan religious efforts.  Coons appreciates keeping things bipartisan generally.  President Biden's faith is also important to him.  Coons promises things are more low key this year:

“I think this year is a positive reset that allows us to focus on the original mission of the prayer breakfast, which was a much narrower engagement between Congress, the President, and some inspirational singers and speakers,” said Coons, a Democrat.

[I find the author of the article, Jack Jenkins, a good source of religious news, including on Twitter.  I found his book on liberal religious activism a bit too detailed, but he himself is a charming down to earth sort.]

I understand the concern about the nature of some of the backers of these sorts of things.  Aside from the additional matter of it being more official, the National Day of Prayer also has issues in this regard.  

But, the overall concept here is okay, if done in a properly open-ended sort of way. Now, that can be difficult though Obama and Biden both welcomed a range of beliefs, including of the more secular variety, into the fold generally.  A "prayer" breakfast does seem to have a certain quality so perhaps a more general "faith" or whatever might be more inclusive  OTOH, you probably can include a lot there if you are creative.

Religion is an important part of life, including for a range of public officials.  It is not necessary for them not to take part in any such thing like a prayer breakfast.  Separation of church and state does not go that far.  Again, the details do matter.  Plus, realistically you are going to have such events.  So, it is useful if some effort is made to have them in a humble and inclusive way.  

Biden and so on is a better bet than the other guy.