Colorado appeals court declares Day of Prayer unconstitutional

A Colorado court has ruled the state’s proclamation for a Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.
The state appeals court made the ruling Thursday on the proclamations by former Govs. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, and Bill Owens, a Republican, saying they violate the Constitution's provisions for religious liberty.
The three-judge panel ruled unanimously that such a state-sponsored proclamation sends a message that those who pray are favored members of Colorado's political community, according to the Denver Post.
"In doing so, they undermine the premise that the government serves believers and nonbelievers equally," Judge Steven Bernard wrote in a 73-page decision.
The six Day of Prayer proclamations – from 2004 to 2009 -- are "predominantly religious," wrote Judges Alan Loeb and Nancy Lichtenstein.
The court also said the proclamations sometimes included biblical verses and religious themes, effectively making a government endorsement of a religion.


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