Speakers from mayors to high school students stood before a crowd of 150 on the steps of the Hamilton County Courthouse on Thursday and declared that prayer is the answer to the nation's problems.
The National Day of Prayer gathering was one of a dozen or so held in the region despite a recent federal court ruling that the 59-year-old tradition is unconstitutional.
"There are a lot of people who think we should not be here," J103 radio station manager Steve Green told those who stood among shade trees, petunias and azaleas on the courthouse lawn. "But if Lady Gaga were here, there wouldn't be anywhere to stand."
Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey and Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield extolled the virtues of prayer before leaving. Nine people then shared corporate prayers for government, military, media, business, education, church and family.
Several people in attendance said they were aware of the recent federal court ruling by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of Wisconsin that the day violates the First Amendment's establishment clause, but they said it wasn't the reason they came.
Dave Abercrombie, a retired businessman and Apison resident, said the ruling may have had a uniting effect.
"There's so much anti-(religion) sentiment," he said. "There's really an assault on these (traditions). I'm surprised there's no anti-(National Day of Prayer) protesters."
Three McCallie School seniors said they were asked by a dean to represent the school at the event.
"We're all blessed to attend the same church (Redemption Point Church of God)," said Blake Feagans, "and we're privileged to be here."
Pauline King, a member of First Baptist Church of Lookout Mountain, said she attended to help event organizer Margaret Bryan.
"I don't think anybody should be prohibited from praying any time at any given place," she said.
Organizer Genendal Fratantuano, president of Aglow International, said she and Ms. Bryan put the event together when they learned no citywide or countywide event was planned.
She said Chattanooga Matters, an incubator for local Christian initiatives that was dissolved in 2009, planned previous gatherings.
"Some of us got word of it," said Mrs. Fratantuano, who had planned several previous National Day of Prayer events in Gulfport, Miss., before Hurricane Katrina severely damaged her home in 2005, "and look what God did in five days to bring us together."
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