Obama Administration Opposes FDR's Prayer at WWII Memorial

Conservatives and Republican lawmakers are furious after the Obama administration announced its objection to adding President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s D-Day prayer to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The objection was reportedly raised during a congressional hearing on Republican Congressman Bill Johnson’s bill – the “World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011.”

“It is unconscionable that the Obama administration would stand in the way of honoring our nation’s distinguished World War II veterans,” Johnson said. “President Roosevelt’s prayer gave solace, comfort and strength to our nation and our brave warriors as we fought against tyranny and oppression.”

Roosevelt's prayer asked God to give the allied troops courage and faith, saying: “With thy blessing we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy.”

Fox News adds that Robert Abbey, the director of the Bureau of Land Management, said any plaque or inscription bearing the prayer would “dilute” the "elegant" memorial’s core message and therefore “should not be altered." Does Abbey mean to say that the memorial would no longer appear elegant if it contained a reference to "God?" It appears so:

“It is not a judgment as to the merit of this new commemoration, simply that altering the Memorial in this way, as proposed in HR 2070, will necessarily dilute this elegant memorial’s central message and its ability to clearly convey that message to move, educate, and inspire its many visitors,” Abbey said in written testimony.

Abbey explained to lawmakers that altering the memorial would be contrary to the Commemorative Works Act — a law that prohibits “encroachment by a new commemoration on a existing one.” It also respects the design of the “completed work of civic art without alteration or addition of new elements.”

“For there to be objections to demonstrating a faith in God at critical points in our nation’s history – particularly D-Day – boggles my mind,” Johnson said. “I was very surprised they were going to object.”

Meanwhile, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council said he is not surprised by the objections.

“This is further evidence that the administration has created an environment that is hostile towards American history – but in particular towards Christianity,” Perkins told Fox News. “I hope America wakes up and realizes what this administration is doing to this country and how they want to radically and fundamentally change America.”