Why church/state mingling is bad for both
Church-state separationists have to choose their battles, so references to God in the pledge and on money and buildings have not been a high priority; neither have invocations that open official government proceedings, as the Senate and the House do with each day.

In the Tennessee Senate on Thursday, before debate on a controversial constitutional amendment related to abortion, guest minister Clifton Fox apparently didn't know that he was expected to pray generically:

"Fox prayed for the 'innocent babies and innocent mothers' within minutes of debate starting on a proposed anti-abortion constitutional amendment. . . . that senators be protected from 'civil liberty lawyers and lobbyists against life.'

Everyone was shocked and outraged. Democrat Jerry Cooper marvelled: "You don't take a side when you're praying. What about separation of church and state?''

How about, in the name of that separation, we not pray at all, Jerry? It's an affront to both the Constitution and to ministers, who essentially have their prayers censored (and rightfully so, in this arena). If more religious folks realized the constraints placed on religion when it participates in the public sphere, maybe fewer would be so eager to be there.