America's National Day Of Prayer Should Include All Religions

Government officials who participated in the National Day of Prayer ceremonies were not only acting contrary to the constitutional requirement of church-state separation, but they were also sending a message of disrespect and exclusion to members of minority religions. To prevent these harmful and un-American messages, government officials should follow the example of Thomas Jefferson. He wisely opposed official prayer and said that prayer should be left in the hands of the people, ''where the Constitution has deposited it.''

Joseph C. Sommer, Columbus, Ohio