# First National Day of Prayer in 70 years with no prayer in the Capitol. Fake news? Origin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 10, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711 "2024-06-10T21:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/1 "2024-06-10T21:03:18Z")
Out of nowhere, my friend messaged me the following on Facebook. He is a total right-wing nut, like things the election was stolen and all that. He message: “First time in 70 years, no prayer in Capital on National Day of Prayer. Starting to get the picture now???” 1. Is this in any way true? 2. If not, does anyone know the fake-news origin of this claim? 3. Can anyone debunk it? There was prayer this year or many times in the past, there wasn’t? That sort of thing? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/2 "2024-06-10T21:06:24Z")
> **IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT** > There was no public service held at the U.S. Capitol, as there has been in some years — but the day was still observed. > > President Joe Biden issued the typical proclamation designating the day and participated in a virtual prayer event. > > The Capitol is closed to public tours amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has been operating under increased security ever since the breach on Jan. 6. > **[Facebook posts omit context about National Day of Prayer](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/may/07/facebook-posts/fact-checking-posts-about-2021-national-day-prayer/)** > > In 1952, President Harry S. Truman signed a joint resolution to establish the National Day of Prayer. In 1988, President ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/3 "2024-06-10T21:08:06Z")
Thank you, that cited the Covid pandemic mainly as the cause. Was there a service there in 2022, 2023, or 2024? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/4 "2024-06-10T21:10:12Z")
Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/5 "2024-06-10T21:13:21Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Out of nowhere, my friend messaged me the following on Facebook. He is a total right-wing nut, like things the election was stolen and all that. He message: > > “First time in 70 years, no prayer in Capital on National Day of Prayer. Starting to get the picture now???” My response to him would be something along the lines of “Clearly Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is showing his respect for our Constitutional separation of church and state. What a great man!” See if you can make his head explode with cognitive dissonance. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/6 "2024-06-10T21:17:41Z")
No, _if_ for the first time in 70 years, no prayer in the Capital on National Day of Prayer _then_ why aren’t you mad at God fearing Christians like Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for not having a public prayer? Bonus points if you mention Jesus’ view on public prayer. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/7 "2024-06-10T21:26:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > My response to him would be something along the lines of “Clearly Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is showing his respect for our Constitutional separation of church and state. What a great man!” I will, but I want to find out first if there was a prayer in the Capitol post-pandemic, so to speak. Or if there ever wasn’t before. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/8 "2024-06-11T18:38:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > National Day of Prayer Googling this with “capitol 2024”, i found this: 73rd Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer to Broadcast from Capitol > **[73rd Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer to Broadcast from Capitol...](https://nrb.org/73rd-annual-observance-of-the-national-day-of-prayer-to-broadcast-from-capitol/)** > > The National Day of Prayer Task Force will broadcast its 73rd annual observance from the Capitol Visitor’s Center Auditorium. So, bullshit, as exepected. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/9 "2024-06-11T19:42:30Z")
Snark deleted. Forgot this was factual questions ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/10 "2024-06-11T19:48:46Z")
I support this being moved to Politics or something as we now have a proper answer and am discussing the situation. Here is my only response: " Yeah it did, dude. It didn’t on the 70th anniversary(3 years ago) due to Covid. This year’s streamed from the Capitol(O, not A) this year. [https://nrb.org/73rd-annual-observance-of-the-national-day-of-prayer-to-broadcast-from-capitol/](https://nrb.org/73rd-annual-observance-of-the-national-day-of-prayer-to-broadcast-from-capitol/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1wJ6MRpn9eHlgetlQEnlwWRfPc1YPWhQMEX-EB02OM76W5NbAwJier9Ss_aem_ARY5ixe984uXMx3LB2Z-B3ZVJoHZq9crpEncvi9vaZJtxOF59P9q8n8e0YvPAobr3QhHkUiMvcp31NVzI9h8cvQp)" ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/11 "2024-06-11T21:14:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yeah it did, dude. It didn’t on the 70th anniversary(3 years ago) due to Covid. If your Facebook believed and passed along a story from three years ago as current news, then he is suprisingly up to date for a FB reposter. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/12 "2024-06-11T21:20:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I support this being moved to Politics or something as we now have a proper answer and am discussing the situation. OK, done. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/13 "2024-06-11T21:21:15Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If your Facebook believed and passed along a story from three years ago as current news, then he is suprisingly up to date for a FB reposter. It took, what, ten years for that stupid “Mars as big as the full moon” thing to die? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-national-day-of-prayer-in-70-years-with-no-prayer-in-the-capitol-fake-news-origin/1002711/14 "2024-06-11T21:26:20Z")
I can’t wait for the next Equinox so that I can balance an egg on its end.