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Fri 02 Feb 2010Obama keeps faith as prayer breakfast criticised
THE US president, first lady, vice-president, secretary of state and a host of elected officials yesterday ignored appeals from government watchdogs, secularists and civil and gay rights movements that they boycott the National Prayer Breakfast.
Seventy-two per cent of Americans believe it is important that their president have “strong religious beliefs”, according to a 2008 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Participating in the National Prayer Breakfast is an easy way to demonstrate those beliefs. It has been attended by every US president since 1953. Bono, Mother Teresa and Tony Blair have all been speakers.
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