President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. It's one of a number of controversial events with religious overtones on Washington's political calendar.
The National Prayer Breakfast is a chance for influential Americans and foreign dignitaries to hear the president talk about his faith, as he did last year.
"In my moments of prayer, I’m reminded that faith and values play an enormous role in motivating us to solve some of our most urgent problems," Obama said.
Gatherings that focus on prayer are an integral part of Washington's political calendar and the president's attendance is often expected.
Public policy professor Mark Rozell, an expert on religion and the presidency, said, "People expect to have a president of strong religious faith, and they are comfortable with the president engaging in public displays of religious faith and commitment."
But not everybody agrees.
"Technically it's not a violation of the Constitution for the president of the United States to go to a religious event that's off public property," said Barry Lynn, a minister in the United Church of Christ and director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "This is held in a big hotel. But I'm very troubled by the way that politicians in the United States tend to want to use religion for political purposes, giving speeches that quote Jesus, as if Jesus was supposed to be making decisions about how we develop an anti-gun policy or run a budget."
It's a difficult balancing act for Obama. An increasing number of Americans describe themselves as religously unaffiliated, and they were crucial in his re-election victory last year.
名师精讲英语考试听力学习方法听力猜题技巧
与"分散和名气"有关的英语单词
与"关闭和掩盖"相关的英语单词
新四级听力的听写练习第四单元 Lesson 13
新四级听力的听写练习第四单元 Lesson 2
新四级听力的听写练习第四单元 Lesson 16
名师精讲英语考试听力学习方法听力复习四大技巧
名师精讲英语考试听力学习方法听力拉分关键点
名师精讲英语考试听力学习方法语段题十大秘诀
名师精讲英语考试听力学习方法惯用语攻略
名师英语四级翻译备考课堂笔记(142)
新四级听力的听写练习第五单元 Lesson15
新四级听力的听写练习第四单元 Lesson 17
英语考试听力学习方法复合式听写技巧
新四级听力的听写练习第五单元 Lesson12
与结束和保持能相关的单词
新四级听力的听写练习第三单元 Lesson 12
大学英语四级考试(CET4)听力大学英语四级真题听力
新四级听力的听写练习第五单元 Lesson 8
新四级听力听写练习第五单元 Lesson 6
大学英语四级考试(CET4)听力英语四级的真题听力
与词根part有关单词
新四级听力听写练习第五单元 Lesson 5
新四级听力的听写练习第四单元 Lesson 20
与词根under及小机电产品相关的单词
新四级听力的听写练习第四单元 Lesson 3
表方向词根相关单词
新四级听力的听写练习第五单元 Lesson 7
与"价值"相关的英语单词
最新英语四级考试的听力练习之(23)安德鲁卡内基
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |