The giant prayer meeting has eaten up a few million dollars from the budget planned for the festivities of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The festival, named “Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving,” literally aims to “rededicate the country to God,” according to the words of Reverend Paula White-Cain, the White House’s chief spiritual advisor and a controversial figure in Donald Trump’s circle.
American democracy may be melting, but the administration of the 47th President of the United States does not seem to mind the contradiction. Among the speakers, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the House Speaker, along with dozens of Christian speakers, will be present, as reported by American newspaper The Washington Post on Monday, May 14th. American President Donald Trump is also scheduled to address the crowd via video conference, according to the American channel NBC.
Some of the speakers have been described by experts as “Christian nationalists or extremists,” as reported by the British newspaper The Guardian. Among them, according to our colleagues, “a Detroit pastor who described the Democratic program as ‘demonic,'” “a rabbi who defended the use of torture and wrote an essay titled The Virtue of Hate,” and “a Christian author and radio host who declared in 2020 that he would die in the fight to prevent Joe Biden from entering the White House.”
In contrast, the programming seems to lack diversity. “No Muslims, no representatives from historically black churches, no indigenous religious leaders, and no traditional Protestants” will be present, notes the Guardian. “The only religious framework enshrined in the Constitution is precisely to keep religion away from political power: no state religion, no religious test for public office,” said Kevin Kruse from Princeton University to The Washington Post.
The giant prayer has been heavily promoted by Republican figures and government officials on social media. Like Pete Hegseth, who stated in a promotional video: “Our founders knew two simple truths. Our rights do not come from the government, they come from God. And the strength of a nation depends on the strength of its faith.” A statement echoing the justifications of the U.S. Secretary of Defense concerning the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, observed by NBC4.
“What should have been a unifying celebration has been diverted for political purposes and integrated into this MAGA discourse that tries to rewrite our history and promote the president’s agenda,” said U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman, referring to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, as cited by NBC. The founding fathers would “roll over in their graves” if they learned of such an event, he added.
Among X users, “Rededicate 250” also sparks debate. “As a Christian, I do not feel comfortable with the political interference of a group of people who have never opened the New Testament,” a woman stated on the platform.
The organization that is organizing the event in Washington, Freedom 250, has been questioned by Democrats in Congress. It is considered as a “detour” orchestrated by Donald Trump, “from a separate commission created by Congress ten years ago to prepare for the bicentennial events,” as reported by NBC.
